New Delhi. On 26.10.2023, Syed Maqbool, one of the accused, who was previously convicted on the 22.09.2023 by the Special Judge of NIA Special Court in New Delhi under sections 38(2) and 39(2) of the UA(P) Act, has been sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment. Notably, he is the fifth accused among the total of 11 against whom sentence has been pronounced.
Accused Syed Maqbool of Nanded, Maharashtra was arrested in the case on 28.02.2013 for his active involvement with members of Indian Mujahideen based in Pakistan and India and involvement in the crime and conspiracy. It has been revealed that the accused maintained close ties with key figures of the Indian Mujahideen, including Riyaz Bhatkal, who is based in Pakistan, and Imran Khan and Obaid-Ur-Rehman, who are located in India. They hatched a conspiracy to carry out explosive attacks at various locations with in India, with Hyderabad being a primary target. Extensive reconnaissance of important sites, including those in Hyderabad, was also conducted.
The case pertains to the conspiracy hatched by the members of the Indian Mujahideen, a group responsible for organizing a series of devastating blasts across the country. These acts of terror include the Varanasi blasts on 07.03.2006, the Mumbai serial blasts on 11.07.2006, the UP Courts serial blasts in Varanasi, Faizabad, and Lucknow on 23.11.2007, the Hyderabad twin blasts on 25.08.2007, the Jaipur serial blasts in 2008, the Delhi serial blasts in 2008, the Ahmedabad serial blasts on 26.07.2008, the Chinnaswamy Stadium blast in Bangalore in 2010, and the Hyderabad twin blasts in 2013.
Earlier, on the 12.07.2023, four accused, namely Danish Ansari, Aftab Alam, Imran Khan, and Obaid-Ur-Rehman, were found guilty under sections 18, 19, 38(2), and 39(2) of the UA(P) Act in the Case. They were sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment.
On the 31.03.2023, charges were formally framed against the afore mentioned accused individual, along with ten others, including Yasin Bhatkal, Asadullah Akhtar, Zia-Ur-Rehman, Tehsin Akhter and Hyder Ali. The sentencing was done by the learned NIA Special Court in New Delhi, under sections 121and122 of the IPC, as well as sections 17, 18, 19, 21, 38, 39, and 40 of the UA(P) Act.
The trial in this case, pertaining to the remaining six accused persons named above, who face a range of charges under the IPC and the UA(P) Act, is ongoing.