(L-R): Zia-ur-Rahman, Asadullah Akhtar, Mohd Tahseen Akhtar, Aijaz Sheikh, Yasin Bhatkal

HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Tuesday upheld the death sentence awarded by a National Investigation Agency (NIA) court to five Indian Mujahideen (IM) operatives for the 2013 Dilsukhnagar blasts. The twin blasts, which occurred on February 21, 2013, in the busy Dilsukhnagar area of Hyderabad, claimed 18 lives—including that of an unborn child—and left 133 people injured, some of them permanently disabled.
The first explosion occurred at a bus stop, followed by a second blast near a popular eatery, A1 Mirchi Centre, less than a minute later. The NIA took over the investigation in March 2013.
On Tuesday, a division bench comprising Justice K Lakshman and Justice P Sree Sudha delivered the judgment in response to a reference made by the special NIA court for confirmation of the death penalty, as well as appeals filed by the five convicts against the sentence.
The five men—IM co-founder Mohd Ahmed Sidibapa alias Yasin Bhatkal (from Karnataka), Asadullah Akhtar alias Haddi (Uttar Pradesh), Tahseen Akhtar alias Monu (Bihar), Aijaz Shaikh (Maharashtra), and Pakistani national Zia-ur-Rahman alias Waqas—were sentenced to death on December 13, 2016. The NIA court had found them guilty under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Explosive Substances Act, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The prime accused and alleged mastermind, Riyaz Bhatkal, remains absconding and was not tried. The trial proceeded against only those five in custody.
Challenging the sentence, the convicts argued that the investigation was flawed, citing the absence of eyewitnesses, procedural lapses in the identification parade, and violations of the Evidence Act, UAPA, NIA Act, and CrPC. They also claimed that no dying declarations were recorded.
Rejecting these contentions, the High Court noted that the trial court had carefully examined both oral and documentary evidence before delivering its verdict. The bench held that all six accused had acted in concert as part of a criminal conspiracy against the Indian state.
The judges concluded there was no possibility of reform or rehabilitation for the convicts and confirmed the trial court’s view that the case fell under the “rarest of the rare” category. “Life imprisonment would be futile as the purpose of reformation is unachievable in this case,” the bench observed, affirming that the death penalty was justified given the gravity of the crime.
The court informed the convicts that they may file an appeal before the Supreme Court within 30 days.
Profiles of the Convicts
Yasin Bhatkal | 42
Born in 1983 in Karnataka’s Bhatkal district, Yasin co-founded the Indian Mujahideen in 2003 along with Riyaz and Iqbal Bhatkal. He studied up to Class 10 and later moved to Dubai in 2004 to work in a sports equipment store. In 2006, he is believed to have trained with Lashkar-e-Taiba in Karachi. Returning to India in 2007, he married Zahida Irshad Khan from Bihar in 2010 and became actively involved in IM operations.
Aijaz Shaikh | 37
A native of Ghorpade Peth in Pune, Aijaz held a diploma in computer applications and previously worked at a BPO. He was involved in creating fake ID cards and managing logistics for IM operatives, under Riyaz Bhatkal’s instructions. He was arrested by the Delhi Police in September 2014.
Zia-ur-Rahman alias Waqas | 36
A Pakistani national, he entered India via Nepal in September 2010 along with co-accused Asadullah Akhtar. A diploma-holder in food technology from Faisalabad, he trained in explosives at LeT and JeM camps. Along with other IM operatives, he planted bombs at Dilsukhnagar. He was arrested in Rajasthan in May 2014.
Asadullah Akhtar | 39
Hailing from Azamgarh, UP, Asadullah completed his pharmacy degree in 2008. The son of a doctor, he joined IM through another operative linked to the Batla House encounter case. He was associated with several terror attacks including the Chinnaswamy Stadium and Jama Masjid blasts. He was arrested by the NIA at the India-Nepal border in August 2013.
Mohd Tahseen Akhtar | 36
From Maniyarpur in Bihar, Tahseen was recruited into IM by Yasin Bhatkal. He helped arrange a safe house for the group near Abdullapurmet in Hyderabad and coordinated several activities under a false identity. He was arrested in Rajasthan in March 2014 by the Delhi Police Special Cell.