A special anti-terror court in Hyderabad on Monday acquitted five people in the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast case, ruling that the prosecution failed to prove charges against them.
The case was initially probed by the state police before being transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and finally in 2011 to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Here’s the timeline of the case:
May 18, 2007: An improvised explosive device (IED) exploded at Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad in which nine people were killed and 58 injured.
Violence broke out in the Old City following the blast. Police resorted to firing, killing five.
Hyderabad police detained several Muslims for their involvement in the blast.
June 2007: The case was handed over to the CBI.
January 2009: As many as 21 people are charged but the courts acquitted them for lack of evidence.
June 2010: The CBI finds the role of Abhinav Bharat, a Hindu outfit, in the blast.
December 2010: The CBI files charge sheet against Devender Gupta and Lokesh Sharma and four others.
April 7, 2011: The NIA takes over the investigation.
June 2013: The NIA charges 10, including Swami Aseemanand who initially confessed his involvement but later retracted.
{{/usCountry}}June 2013: The NIA charges 10, including Swami Aseemanand who initially confessed his involvement but later retracted.
{{/usCountry}}In all, 226 witnesses were examined, of which 64 including Lt Col Srikanth Purohit turned hostile.
March 23, 2017: A Hyderabad court grants bail to Aseemanand, who was acquitted in Ajmer blast case on March 8.