nEven as the verdict of lower court in twin blast case convicting two and acquitting two accused left the kin of the victims and survivors of the terror attack disappointed, the prosecution was confident that the court will award death penalty two the guilty.
But the defence lawyers on the other hand said they will challenge the verdict in the High Court as the evidence against them was filmsy.
II additional metropolitan sessions judge T Srinivasa Rao declared 36 year old Anique Shafeeq Sayeed and Akbar Ismail Choudhary, both from Pune guilty under various sections. He will hear the arguments of both the sides on Monday before pronouncing the quantum of punishment.
Special Public Prosecutor C Seshu Reddy representing Counter Intelligence Cell of Telangana police told the media, "having clearly proved the charges beyond doubt we will now argue for capital punishment".
While the court found the duo guilty under 11 sections of IPC as well as explosive substances act, it declared them "not guilty" under section 20 of the Unlawful Activities (prevention) act dismissing the charge of prosecution that they were members of outlawed shadowy organisation Indian Mujahideen.
Prosecution had charged that the bomb blasts were carried out by Indian Mujahideen.
However the court found them guilty of waging war against the state, conspiracy, attempt to murder, murder, creating enmity between classes, playing mischief with explosives.
Of the five accused the court acquitted two 35 year old Farooq Sharfuddin Tarkash, a private employee in Pune and 42 year old Mohammed Sadiq Israr Shaikh, a computer engineer from Mumbai.
The two arrested by Maharashtra police in 2009 spent nine years in Hyderabad jail.
Court will decide the fate of fifth accused 42 year old Engineer from Delhi Tarique Anjum on Monday. He was charged with providing shelter to the other accused.
Defence counsel G Gurumurthy representing Aneeque said that he will challenge the verdict in High Court as the case was very weak. "There is every chance that the High Court will set aside the judgement".
Md Abdul Azeem, defence counsels for the accused who were acquitted said, "verdict has proved that my clients were implicated. They have been pleading from the beginning that they were falsely implicated". He said that he will file a suit in civil court demanding compensation for his clients.
The blasts in open air theatre of Lumbini Park near state secretariat and at Gokul Chat Bhandar in Kothi in Hyderabad had left 44 killed and 68 injured. A third bomb planted at Dilsukhnagar failed to explode. While the Counter Intelligence Cell was probing the case it was Maharashtra police which arrested the suspects in 2009.
Meanwhile the verdict failed to impress the kin of the victims and survivors.
Chander Naik, who lost an eye in the blast at Gokul Chat said that he was not happy with the acquittal of two accused. "I urge the government to challenge it in high court", he said. He was also bitter that the state givernment failed in its promise of helping the victims of the blast. He was among the survivors who gathered outside the Charalapally Jail where the judge pronounced verdict in a make shift court. He was carrying around a placard which said, "CM sir please give us a chance to meet you".
B Anjaiah whose daughter Shravanthi and two other women of the family died in the blast at Kothi said that he wanted the convicts to be hanged. But he did not comment on the acquittal of the two saying he respects the court verdict.
For Ayesha Sultana, who lost his brother, sister in law and their two children in the blast said there was nothing for her in the judgement.
"My entire life as turns upside down on that day. Nothing can change it. The government did not help us even after promising a job, pension and compensation.
The verdict also brought back the horrendous images of the Black Sunday in the minds of the witnesses. "I can never forget what happened on that day. A huge blast ripped apart everything images of dead bodies and screaming injured people still haunt me and their cries still echo in my ears", said Premchand Vijayvergiya. His nephew Puneet was among the dead. His face was blown up.
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi in his reaction to the verdict said that justice was not done to the victims as well as the two acquitted persons Farooq and Sadiq who were made to spend nine years in jail. "This is not a proper closure", he .