Mecca Masjid blast

The Mecca Masjid blast occurred on 18 May 2007 inside the Mecca Masjid, (or "Makkah Masjid") a mosque located in the old city area of Hyderabad,[2] capital of the Indian state of Telangana located very close to Charminar. The blast was caused by a cellphone-triggered pipe bomb placed near the place where ablutions are performed. Two further live IEDs were found and defused by the police.[3][4] Sixteen people were reported dead in the immediate aftermath, of whom five were killed by the police firing after the incident while trying to quell the mob.[1]

Mecca Masjid Blast
Hyderabad is located in India
Hyderabad
Hyderabad
Hyderabad (India)
LocationHyderabad, Telangana, India17.360106°N 78.473427°E / 17.360106; 78.473427
Date18 May 2007
13:15 IST ((UTC+5.30))
TargetMecca Masjid
Attack type
Cyclotol activated by cellphone
Deaths16[1]
Injured100

On 16 April 2018, the NIA Court acquitted all 11 who were accused in the blasts, citing lack of evidence.[5]

Overview

The bomb exploded around 1:15 pm in Mecca Masjid, a 400-year-old mosque in Hyderabad.[3] The IED contained cyclotol, a 60:40 mixture of RDX and TNT,[6] filled in a 10-inch (250 mm) by 3-inch (76 mm) pipe.[7] The bomb was placed under a heavy marble platform, which took the force of the impact and saved many lives. Two more IEDs were found, one 100 meters away from the blast site and the other near the main gate. Both of them were defused 3 hours after the blast.[7]

The blast occurred near the open air section of the Mecca Masjid. At the time of the blast more than 10,000 people were inside the mosque premises, for the Friday prayers.[3] The injured were treated at the Osmania hospital in Hyderabad.[8]

Following this Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra were put on alert. State Home Minister K Jana Reddy said the blast, which injured over fifty people in addition to the death toll, could be the act of foreign elements.

Rioting and Police firing

Five individuals died as a result of the police firing, which caused considerable controversy. The Telegraph reports:[9]

Six rounds were fired in the afternoon and evening to prevent shops and public property from being damaged, including petrol pumps and ATMs. One person was killed in the firing in the Moghalpura area, while two fell to the police bullets elsewhere. Another lost his life when the police had to pull the trigger to control a mob trying to break into an ATM.
According to police commissioner Balwinder Singh, his men resorted to firing after water cannons, tear gas and baton-charge failed to bring the mob fury under control.

It is reported that[10] a frenzied mob attacked state-owned road transport corporation buses, forcing the closure of Falaknuma bus depot.

According to the police, the rioters were trying to set fire to a petrol pump.[11] Inspector P. Sudhakar of Falaknuma police station, who has been removed from his position on the charge of opening fire `indiscriminately' to control the rampaging mobs[12] stated:

"While I asked my subordinates to be on high alert, mobs from Shalibanda and the mosque came towards Moghalpura pelting stones. They set ablaze a wine shop and charged towards a petrol pump where we were stationed."
The mobs took out petrol from the dispenser and sprinkled it on the room. "When they tried to ignite it with the help of dry grass, I ordered my men to open fire with .303 rifles to disperse them," he says. "As the situation turned worse, I sought additional forces. Quick Reaction teams along with Moghalpura Inspector arrived and scattered the crowd by opening fire." At least 10 persons, including policemen, could have been killed if fire orders were not issued, he insists.

Investigation

After the bombing, two police cases were opened at the Hussaini Alam Police Station, one for the exploded bomb and one for the unexploded bomb. On 9 June 2007, the former was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation.[13]

Early suspects and theories

On 15 June 2007, the Special investigation Team (SIT) of Hyderabad Police initially arrested a 27-year-old air conditioner mechanic as a suspect in the bombing, and on 15 July, a 26-year-old worker at a watch repair shop was also arrested.[14] In August 2007, one of the two suspects was shot dead by unknown gunmen in Karachi.[14][15] On 3 December 2008, a third suspect was arrested.[14]

In August 2010, security analyst Bahukutumbi Raman questioned "the two different versions that have emerged from Indian and American investigators."[16]

In September 2010, it was reported that the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) had thought that Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HuJI) could have been behind the attacks based on initial investigations, before the Central Bureau of Investigation took over the case.[17] The CBI claimed that the NCTC was not "up to date with the latest investigation", after the NCTC director claimed HuJI as the perpetrators in a 2010 document to the United States Senate.[18]

Main investigation

On 19 November 2010, the CBI produced the preacher Swami Aseemanand before the court in connection with the Makkah Masjid blast in Hyderabad in May 2007.[19][20][21][22] On 18 December, he confessed in front of a magistrate, citing the guilt he felt after seeing innocent Muslim boys arrested in the case by the police.[23] The confession of Aseemanand, together with transcripts of meetings between the preacher, Sadhvi Pragya, senior military officers and others implicated Abhinav Bharat in the bombing, alongside a role in Malegaon, Samjhauta Express and Ajmer Dargah bombings.[24] The case "revealed for the first time conclusive evidence of "Hindutva terror"," and took the investigation in a new direction.[24]

The Anti Terrorist Squad (India) (ATS) and CBI subsequently questioned former members of the RSS,[25][26][27][28][29][30] and in December 2010 charged Aseemanand as the mastermind behind the Makkah Masjid bombing.[31][32][33][34]

In early January 2011, a letter written by Aseemanand on 20 December 2010, two days after his confession to the CBI, was revealed. The letter, which was never sent, was addressed to the presidents of India and Pakistan and explained why he had wanted to confess and tell the truth after seeing the innocent people that had been arrested and implicated with him.[35] The letter confession of the prompted families of the 32 men arrested in the aftermath of the bombing demanded the release of the youths from jail.[36] On 15 January, the full court confession was published by Tehelka and CNN-IBN.[23]

Forced confession complaint

In late March 2011, Aseemanand attempted to withdraw his 'confession', claiming that he had been coerced by the ATS,[37] and submitted a letter to the court which said: "I have been pressured mentally and physically by the investigating agencies to 'confess' that I was behind these blasts." He also said he was threatened and pressured to become a government witness in the case.[38][39]

Court hearings and verdict

The NIA began the probe in April 2011 after the initial investigations by the local police and the chargesheet filed by the CBI. 226 witnesses were examined during the trial and about 411 documents exhibited. The verdict was pronounced by a special NIA court acquitting all the accused due to lack of evidence.[40][41]

The Special NIA judge Ravindra Reddy resigned post the verdict.[42]

Aftermath

In late 2011, Aseemanand wrote a petition to President of India Pratibha Patil describing torture allegedly meted out to him during his confinement, prompting the Punjab and Haryana high courts to issue a notice to the National Investigation Agency to investigate the allegations of torture.[29][43]

In January 2013, the then Indian Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, of Indian National Congress, accused Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Bharatiya Janata Party for setting up camps to train Hindu Terrorism including planting bombs in 2007 Samjhauta Express bombings, Mecca Masjid blast and 2006 Malegaon blasts.[44] Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh spokesperson Ram Madhav responded to this allegation by accusing Shinde of pandering to Islamist groups like Jamaat-ud-Dawah and Lashkar-e-Taiba.[45] In February 2013, after BJP threatened to boycott the parliament during the Budget session, Shinde apologised for his remarks and said that he had no intention to link terror to any religion and that there was no basis for suggesting that terror can be linked to organisations mentioned in his earlier speech.[46]

In September 2013, Yasin Bhatkal confessed that Indian Mujahideen had bombed two other places in Hyderabad later in August 2007 to avenge Mecca Masjid blast which was then allegedly attributed to Hindu fundamental groups.[47]

See also

References

Citations
  1. "Blast Friday throws up Bengal link". The Telegraph. 20 May 2007. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  2. "Bomb hits historic India mosque". BBC News. 18 May 2007. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  3. Ramu, Marri (19 May 2007). "10 killed, 50 injured in Hyderabad mosque last". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 20 May 2007. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  4. "India: The Mecca Mosque Bombers' Poor Tradecraft". Stratfor. 18 May 2007. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  5. "Mecca Masjid blast verdict LIVE UPDATES: Aseemanand, four other accused acquitted by special NIA court". The Indian Express. 16 April 2018. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  6. "Mecca bombs a cocktail of RDX, TNT". The Times of India. 2 July 2010. Archived from the original on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  7. "Police say foreign terror groups involved in Andhra blast". Hindustan Times. IANS. 19 May 2007. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  8. "TNT, RDX used in mosque blast". IBN Live. 19 May 2007. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  9. Radhakrishna, G.S. (19 May 2007). "HAIR-TRIGGER HYDERABAD - A wound and a hunting ground". The Telegraph. Calcutta, India. Archived from the original on 20 May 2007.
  10. Mob violence after Hyd blast, 4 killed : hyderabad, blast, Makkah masjid, char minar, police firing, mob violence : IBNLive.com : CNN-IBN Archived 20 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  11. "Decoding the Hyderabad blast". Archived from the original on 28 May 2007. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  12. "I've acted to avert a disaster: Inspector". The Hindu. 25 May 2007. Archived from the original on 27 May 2007. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  13. Ali, 2013 & p-39.
  14. "Data sheets: Terrorism related incidents in Andhra Pradesh since 2007". Satp.org. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  15. "Mecca Masjid blast mastermind dead". Hindustan Times. 3 June 2008. Archived from the original on 26 January 2010. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
  16. Bahukutumbi Raman (7 August 2010). "Arrest of Some Hindus as Terrorists- Getting Curiouser & Curiouser". South Asia Analysis Group. Archived from the original on 17 August 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
  17. ‘Huji, not Hindu group, behind Makkah Masjid blast’ Archived 31 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine Hindustan Times - 23 September 2010
  18. ‘Huji, not Hindu group, behind Mecca Masjid blast’ Archived 31 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine Hindustan Times - 23 September 2010
  19. "Why Swami Aseemanand is a prize catch for the CBI - Rediff.com India News". Rediff.com. 19 November 2010. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  20. "Swami Aseemanand sheltered Best Bakery accused on the run". Indian Express. 21 November 2010. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  21. "Aseemanand arrest: Major boost to Ajmer dargah blast probe". The Times of India. 19 November 2010. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012.
  22. "Swami Aseemanand sheltered Best Bakery accused on the run". Indian Express. 21 November 2010. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  23. "Tehelka - India's Independent Weekly News Magazine". Archived from the original on 4 June 2011.
  24. Ali 2013, p. 37.
  25. "Mosque blast: RSS man grilled". Hindustan Times. 23 December 2010. Archived from the original on 14 February 2011. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  26. PTI (27 December 2010). "RSS leader likely to be quizzed again in Masjid blast case". The Hindu. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  27. "ATS may grill Aseemanand before tackling Indresh". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012.
  28. Rahul Tripathi, TNN 24 Dec 2010, 03.06am IST (24 December 2010). "RSS leader grilled for Hindu terror". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 7 September 2011. Retrieved 9 March 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  29. HC notice to NIA on Aseemanand petition Times of India - 29 November 2011
  30. "RSS leader likely to be quizzed again in Masjid blast case". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 27 December 2010.
  31. "ATS may grill Aseemanand before tackling Indresh". The Times of India. 27 December 2010. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012.
  32. "Mosque blast: RSS man grilled - Hindustan Times". Archived from the original on 14 February 2011. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  33. "RSS leader grilled for Hindu terror". The Times of India. 24 December 2010. Archived from the original on 7 September 2011.
  34. HuJI ban takes no note of 'Hindu terror' role Times of India - 8 August 2010
  35. Aseemanand's confession before CBI voluntary IBNLive - 8 January 2011
  36. Aseemanand's confession: Focus shifts to jailed Muslim youths India Today - 10 January 2011
  37. Aseemanand takes back all he said, was ‘coerced’ Indian Express - 31 March 2011
  38. Swami Aseemanand takes back confession, says he was "coerced" Archived 3 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine MSN News - 31 March 2011
  39. Coerced confession Indian Express - 8 December 2011
  40. "Aseemanand, All Others Acquitted in 2007 Mecca Masjid Blast Case". The Quint. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  41. "Mecca Masjid Blast Case: All Accused Acquitted". 16 April 2018.
  42. "Mecca Masjid blast case: Special NIA judge who delivered verdict resigns, cites personal reasons". The Indian Express. 16 April 2018. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  43. "HC notice to NIA on Aseemanand petition". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 11 May 2013.
  44. "Shinde's Hindu terror remarks 'oxygen' to Pakistan-sponsored terrorism: BJP". The Times of India. PTI. 20 January 2013. Archived from the original on 22 January 2013. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  45. "LeT, Jamaat-ud-Dawah congratulated RSS". Zee News. 21 January 2013. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  46. Joshi, Sandeep (21 February 2013). "Shinde apologises for 'Hindu terror' remark ahead of budget session". The Hindu. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  47. "Indian Mujahideen bombed Hyderabad to 'avenge' Mecca Masjid blasts: Yasin Bhatkal". The Indian Express. 3 September 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2016.

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