Dilsukhnagar Blasts: High Court Confirms Death Sentences Given by NIA Court
The Telangana High Court has upheld the death penalty awarded to five Indian Mujahideen terrorists involved in the 2013 Dilsukhnagar twin bomb blasts that killed 18 people.
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has upheld the death penalty awarded to five Indian Mujahideen terrorists involved in the 2013 Dilsukhnagar twin bomb blasts that killed 18 people. A division bench comprising Justices K. Laxman and P. Sree Sudha dismissed the appeals filed by the convicts and confirmed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court’s verdict, calling it a case of “organised crime of rarest of rare category.”
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The accused — Asadullah Akhtar alias Haddi, Zia-ur-Rehman alias Waqas, Mohammad Tahseen Akhtar alias Hasan, Mohammad Ahmed Siddibapa alias Yasin Bhatkal, and Aijaz Shaikh alias Samar Armaan Tunde — were found guilty of planning and executing the blasts with the aim of waging war against India and spreading terror among civilians.
“No Scope for Reform”: High Court
Quoting the Supreme Court’s judgments in Bachan Singh, Machhi Singh, and Mohammad Mannan cases, the High Court observed that the crime was not a spur-of-the-moment act but a meticulously planned conspiracy involving training, cross-border support, and the use of explosives in densely populated areas.
“There is no scope for rehabilitation or reform of the accused,” the bench stated, pointing to psychiatric reports, expert opinions, and the gravity of the offence. The court stressed that killing innocent civilians indiscriminately, including women and children, aimed at disrupting societal peace, warrants nothing less than capital punishment.
“Evidence Overwhelming, Investigation Valid”
Rejecting the arguments of the defence that the investigation was flawed, the court held that minor lapses do not weaken the solid body of evidence presented by the NIA. Confessional statements, witness accounts, electronic evidence, and forensic reports all pointed to the direct involvement of the accused.
The court also ruled that the jurisdiction of the NIA Court was valid, and the Centre’s order for an NIA probe was justified, given the national implications of the attack.
Terror with Cross-Border Links
The court noted that the accused had received support and training from Pakistan’s ISI and Taliban operatives. The explosives were assembled with precision, and the conspiracy was aimed at creating fear, damaging national integrity, and disturbing law and order.
The bench concluded that awarding the death penalty would send a strong message to society against acts of terrorism and help uphold public confidence in the justice system.
