India mosque blast verdict raises several questions

Investigating agencies can still salvage the situation by appealing against the ruling

In a much anticipated verdict in India, the acquittal of all the accused in the Makkah Masjid blast case, citing lack of evidence, raised questions about the investigation. The high-profile case dates back to 2007 when a bomb blast inside the Makkah Masjid, a mosque in Hyderabad, Telangana, killed 11 people. Five more were killed in the subsequent police firing. India’s premier investigating agencies — National Investigation Agency (NIA), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) — pointed to the involvement of members of Hindu right-wing outfits.

Owing to sloppy investigation (testimony of a principal accused in the case went missing from records), the court finally let off the accused this week. It followed a very disturbing pattern where 66 key witnesses turned hostile. Special NIA judge Ravindra Reddy (who intriguingly resigned just after delivering the verdict) in his order observed that not a single allegation levelled by the prosecution could be proved. The acquittal highlights the ineffective role of NIA in cases related to terror attacks involving Hindu right-wing groups. All the five acquitted in Makkah Masjid case are associated with Abhinav Bharat, a right-wing organisation that has been linked to similar cases such as the Malegaon bombing, Samjhauta Express bombing and Ajmer Sharif Dargah blasts.

It is baffling that 11 years of investigation failed to provide concrete evidence to pin the perpetrators. Not only is this unfair to the victims, it also puts a big question mark on the efficacy of the police, CBI and NIA. India’s investigating agencies can still salvage the situation by appealing against the verdict. It is important for justice and will go a long way towards bringing a sense of closure to the families of the victims.