The Telangana High Court on Tuesday upheld the death sentences awarded to five operatives of the Indian Mujahideen for the 2013 Dilsukhnagar twin bombings in Hyderabad, which killed 18 people and injured more than 130.
A division bench of Justice K Lakshman and Justice P Sree Sudha dismissed the appeals filed by the convicts against the 2016 ruling of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court. The judges stated that the evidence, including eyewitness testimonies and forensic findings, left&nbsp;&ldquo;no room for doubt&rdquo; about the involvement of the accused.
&ldquo;This is a case of deliberate and cold-blooded terrorist violence. The nature of the crime and the magnitude of its consequences justify the punishment awarded,&rdquo; the bench observed.
The five men whose death sentences were upheld are:
<ul>
<li class="MsoNormal">Mohammed Ahmed Siddibappa alias Yasin Bhatkal &nbsp;</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Asadullah Akhtar alias Haddi &nbsp;</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Tehseen Akhtar alias Monu &nbsp;</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Zia-ur-Rahman alias Waqas &nbsp;</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Ejaz Sheikh</li>
</ul>
A sixth accused, Syed Maqbool, was also convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The bombs exploded on the evening of February 21, 2013, in Hyderabad&rsquo;s bustling Dilsukhnagar area. The attack was planned and executed by the Indian Mujahideen, then considered a major domestic terror outfit.
Investigators said the Indian Mujahideen targeted the site for maximum civilian casualties. The NIA's case relied on 157 witnesses, CCTV footage, mobile tower dumps, and confessions recorded under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Officials confirmed that the five convicts remain in high-security prisons, including Tihar Jail&nbsp;and Cherlapally Central Prison. They described the Telangana High Court verdict as a firm reaffirmation of the justice system and a warning against terrorism.
&ldquo;This verdict sends a clear message: the law will not show leniency to those who plot and execute terror,&rdquo; a senior NIA official told reporters after the ruling.
Key Events in Dilsukhnagar Blast Case
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; border-width: 1px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" border="1"><colgroup><col style="width: 24.1474%;"><col style="width: 75.8526%;"></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">Date</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">Event</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding-left: 40px; text-align: left;">February 21, 2013</td>
<td style="padding-left: 40px; text-align: left;">Twin blasts kill 18 and injure over 100 in Hyderabad's Dilsukhnagar area.</td>
</tr>
<tr style="padding-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
<td style="padding-left: 40px;">August 28, 2013</td>
<td style="padding-left: 40px;">Yasin Bhatkal arrested near the India&ndash;Nepal border.</td>
</tr>
<tr style="padding-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
<td style="padding-left: 40px;">December 13, 2016</td>
<td style="padding-left: 40px;">NIA Special Court convicts five accused and awards them the death penalty.</td>
</tr>
<tr style="padding-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
<td style="padding-left: 40px;">February 18, 2022</td>
<td style="padding-left: 40px;">Special Court sentences 38 individuals to death in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts case; Yasin Bhatkal is among those convicted.</td>
</tr>
<tr style="padding-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
<td style="padding-left: 40px;">April 8, 2025</td>
<td style="padding-left: 40px;">Telangana High Court upholds death sentences in the Dilsukhnagar blast case.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;
Who Is Yasin Bhatkal?
Yasin Bhatkal, co-founder of the Indian Mujahideen, was arrested near the India&ndash;Nepal border in August 2013. He has also been: &nbsp;
Sentenced to death in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts case (verdict in 2022), and &nbsp;
Sentenced to life imprisonment in the 2010 Pune German Bakery blast case, where 17 people were killed. His death sentence in that case was commuted by the Bombay High Court in 2017.
Despite receiving multiple death sentences, Bhatkal has not yet been executed. Under Indian law, a death sentence becomes executable only after the convict exhausts all legal remedies&mdash;appeals, review and curative petitions, and if filed, a mercy petition to the President. No execution date can be set until a final death warrant&nbsp;is issued after this process.
What Next?
With the Telangana High Court upholding the death sentences, the legal process now moves to the next stage. The five convicts have the right to challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court by filing Special Leave Petitions. If the apex court also upholds the sentence, they may pursue further judicial remedies through review and curative petitions.
Even after exhausting all legal options, the convicts can file mercy petitions to the President of India. A death sentence in India can only be carried out after all judicial and constitutional remedies are exhausted and a final death warrant is issued by a trial court. This process often takes years, as seen in other high-profile terror and criminal cases.
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Investigators said IM targeted the site for maximum civilian casualties

Telangana High Court rejects appeals in deadly twin bombings that killed 18, injured 130

2013 Dilsukhnagar Blasts Case: 5 to Hang

Telangana High Court rejects appeals in deadly twin bombings that killed 18, injured 130

April 8, 2025 | 18:08 IST