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Two years ago, a bomb blast rocked the historic Mecca Masjid at Hyderabad when Friday prayers were on. Agitated by this, Muslims from the Masjid got on to the streets and began to protest. What followed was police firing in which several lives were lost.
The repercussions of this incident were several and the terrorism in South India has never been the same since. Two years on, there is still nothing much to write home about vis-a-vis the investigation.
The case has seen several twists and turns. The needle of suspicion was first cast on Bangladesh-based Harkat-ul-Jihadi terrorist Shahid Bilal -- accused of trying to create communal tension in Hyderabad. The probe was then divided. While the bombing is being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation, the incident relating to police firing is being looked into by the Hyderabad police.
A year after the blast occurred, when rediff.com tried to find out about any progress in the case we were told that answer was that there was a delay due to the twin blasts, which had rocked Hyderabad three months later. Today, investigating agencies say new aspects have emerged in the case, which are being followed up.
LeT operatives like Riyaz Bhatkal believed very firmly that the Mecca Masjid blasts were carried out by Hindu fundamental groups. Hence, they avenged it by carrying out the twin blasts at Lumbini Park and Gokul Chats in Hyderabad three months later.
Investigating agencies say they are trying to verify the claims made by some of the men, who were arrested by the police from various states.
The Civil Liberties Committee, which has been monitoring the case, says the government has failed completely in handling this case. It never tried to make a sincere effort in this investigation.
Lateef Mohammad Khan of the committee says that despite claims by investigating agencies, the government was not even looking into the possible role played by Hindu fundamental groups.
Also, the government had appointed the Bhaskhar Rao commission of inquiry to look into the incident involving police firing in the aftermath of the blasts. However, the commission failed to give any report on the same. A petition to this effect too had been filed in the Andhra Pradesh High Court seeking a directive to speed up the process, but that petition remains pending.
As far as the investigation goes, no fresh arrests have been made. Till date around 12 youth from Hyderabad were picked up in connection with this case. But they were released for lack of evidence.
Rediff.com spoke to some of the youth, who were picked up by the police in connection with this case and later released.
Dr Junaid's career was ruined due to this case. "I was present at Mecca Masjid at the time of the incident. I was helping one of my teachers who was injured in the blasts. I was picked up in connection with this case. I was not permitted to write my medical examinations. Once I was released, I had to seek permission of the court to seek re-admission into college."
Mohammad Rayees, an employee at a jewellery store in Hyderabad, says he was illegally detained and tortured by the police. "My family friends, at first, believed that I was involved in the blasts. They completely stopped talking to my family. Once I was released, I did not find any employment as people were scared to appoint me."
Abdul Raheem, an auto driver, was his family's bread winner. "Once I came out of jail, the situation was so bad that I had to sell my auto in order to make ends meet. I had no option since I hardly got any passengers due to the fear created by the police about me."