AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)
Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday said that if family members of the Mecca Masjid blast victims wanted to contest the verdict, he would provide legal assistance. “If the family of any victim wants to appeal against the verdict, then I am ready to provide them legal help. People call NIA a caged parrot, but I will say that it is blind and deaf also,” news agency ANI quoted the Hyderabad MP as saying.
A special court had on Monday acquitted right-wing Hindu group members in the 2007 blast case that left nine persons dead and at least 58 injured. The court held that the prosecution failed to provide evidence against the accused. “Witnesses turned hostile after June 2014. They could not give proper statements, so everything was done to fail the victims upshot. Our fight against terrorism is weakened after today’s acquittals.” Owaisi added that the investigation was biased and NIA was not allowed to pursue the case by its political masters.
On May 18, 2007 ann explosion ripped through the mosque while Friday prayers were underway. The police also recovered two live IEDs which were then defused in a controlled environment. Following the blast, a crowd gathered outside the mosque in protest and five people were killed in police firing. Following the blast, police blamed Harkatul Jihad Islami and rounded up youth from across Hyderabad. The CBI later revealed that the blast was the handiwork of right-wing Hindu group.