But, Ajaz Saeed Shaikh, who has been in jail since 2015, will not be released as he was sentenced to death in 2016 for the Hyderabad twin blasts of 2013 that had claimed 18 lives.

MUMBAI: A sessions court on Friday acquitted a 36-year-old suspected Indian Mujahideen operative from Pune who was accused of sending a terror email after the Sept 2010 firing and blast outside Jama Masjid in Delhi, which left two foreign nationals injured.
But, Ajaz Saeed Shaikh, who has been in jail since 2015, will not be released as he was sentenced to death on multiple counts in 2016 for the Hyderabad twin blasts of 2013 that claimed 18 lives.He will continue to face trial in the Mumbai 2011 triple blasts case. He was produced in court via video-conference from a Telangana prison. The detailed order is yet to be made available.
In the terror email case, Shaikhwas accused of terrorrelated charges under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and offences under IT Act and IPC.
A terror email was allegedly sent by Indian Mujahideen, claiming responsibility for the attack on those who had gathered for prayers outside Jama Masjid on Sept 19, 2010. It was alleged that Shaikh and an absconding accused, Mohsin Chaudhari, had sent the email that same day from a cellphone near Manish Market in Mumbai. The prosecution said Shaikh and other accused were part of a gang that conspired to strike terror among people with an intention to threaten India’s unity, integri ty, security and sovereignty by sending specific emails to multiple media houses claiming responsibility for the attack.
Shaikh was arrested in the case in 2015. The chargesheet was submitted on July 16 that year. Eight years later, the court framed charges against Shaikh. The prosecution examined nine witnesses, among whom were police, the sanctioning authority for invoking UAPA; a man who allegedly sold the phone to Shaikh; another from whom he allegedly procured the SIM card; and a person from Manish Market linked to the alleged CCTV footage from there.
However, Shaikh’s lawyer, Hasnain Kazi, said he had been made a scapegoat. “There is no evidence which shows the handset which was allegedly purchased from the prosecution witness was used by the accused. The only evidence which the prosecution was trying to connect to the accused to prove the fact was a ‘CD’ which was seized, but to date, it has not been brought before this court. Therefore, the prosecution miserably failed to prove that the accused has purchased the handset,” he said.
He also questioned why Shaikh was arrested five years after the case was filed by cyber police in 2010. “In view of the lack of reliable evidence and invalid sanction, the accused prays that he may please be acquitted from all the charges levelled against him,” Kazi had said when making the final arguments in the case.