High Alert In Hyderabad After Mecca Masjid Blast Verdict

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
the verdict of 11-year-old case was announced, the Hyderabad Police issued a high alert in the city.In the verdict by a National
Investigation Agency (NIA) court, all five accused in the 2007 Mecca Masjid Blast which killed nine people and injured 50 were acquitted.The
police have increased security in the communally sensitive city
More than 3,000 policemen and paramilitary troops were deployed as part of the security arrangements.Senior police officials are monitoring
the security arrangements at the historic mosque located near the iconic Charminar
Deputy Commissioner of Police V Satyanarayana said the police had taken all necessary measures to prevent any incident.He said that the
police will keep a close watch on the movement of people at sensitive places through CCTV cameras
The police would deal firmly with any attempt to disturb law and order, he added.A powerful explosion took place 11 years ago on May 18,
2007 during the Friday prayers near the Charminar monument in Hyderabad
Two improvised explosive devices were also recovered by police and defused.The court held that none of the charges framed against the
accused were proved
A lawyer for one of the accused told reporters outside the Nampally criminal court complex that the judges held that the prosecution failed
to prove the charges.Ten people allegedly belonging to right-wing organisations were named as accused in the case
One of the accused, Sunil Joshi of Madhya Pradesh, a former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) member, was murdered while the case was being
investigated
Swami Aseemanand, Devendra Gupta, Lokesh Sharma, Bharat Mohanlal Rateshwar alias Bharat Bhai and Rajendra Chowdhary also faced trial in the
case
Two other accused -- Sandeep V Dange and Ramchandra Kalsangra -- are missing.(With inputs from IANS)