Mecca Masjid blast case: Families of the deceased lose faith in juidiciary

Hyderabad: Family members of the victims, who died in the Macca Masjid blast in 2007, are feeling dejected with the court verdict.

Fayaz Khan, a zari worker who lost his uncle Yousuf Khan and brother-in-law Shafi Rahman in the blast, laments, “We are really upset with the verdict. It is not that we want someone to be made a scapegoat. But after 11 long years, we failed to get justice. Three agencies carried out the investigation over a long span of time,” he said. The duo had gone to the historic Macca Masjid in 2007 to attend the funeral prayers of their relatives when the blast rocked the mosque resulting in his uncle’s death.

A little away from their house stays Shaik Jahangir who was severely injured in the blast.

“My father is now bedridden. He sustained a head injury at the time of the blast and was admitted in a hospital for a month. Since then, he is bedridden and confined to the house,” Shaik Ateeq, his son, said.

He added that after the Ajmer blast verdict, they lost hope in getting justice. “In a city like Hyderabad, I believe Muslims will not carry out blast in a mosque,” Ateeq said.

A kilometre away from Charminar, Mohd Saleem is another disappointed man. His relative Shaik Nayeem died in the Masjid blast.

“We waited for 11 long years and this is what we got. The government should either reinvestigate the case or appeal against the acquittal in a higher court. Only then, we will regain our confidence in the Judiciary and investigation authorities,” he said.