Hyderabad: First Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge on Tuesday acquitted Zia Ul Haq, who was arrested in 2010 by the Hyderabad police and National Investigation Agency, in connection with the 2006 Odeon theatre blast.
The judgment came after the public prosecutor failed to produce valid proof against Haq. After his arrest, the NIA, in their charge sheet had alleged that Huq was a Lashkar-e-Taiba operative trained in Pakistan and he had further plans of waging war against the country. However, the allegations were proved wrong in the court.
Haq’s family members alleged that the Special Investigation Team of the city police and NIA deliberately targeted Haq with false charges since he belonged to a particular religion.
They alleged that Haq was tortured by police and NIA officials during the course of interrogation. Haq, who is a resident of Eidi Bazaar, was leading a normal life, and with this false case, his family suffered a lot in these years, they said.
In May 2006, a crude explosive went off in the theatre during night show, when Venkatesh-starrer ‘Lakshmi’ was playing in the theatre located at RTC cross roads. Two people were injured in the explosion.
