Following is the chronology of events in the Mecca Masjid Blast case.
May 18, 2007
A bomb blast occurs inside the historic Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad during Friday prayers at about 13.25 hours leaving nine persons dead and 58 others injured;
Five others killed in police firing with mobs pelting stones, damaging property and clashing with police;
Hussaini Alam Police station in Hyderabad registers two cases against unknown persons in connection with the blast and seizure of unexploded IED from the mosque. ............................
Subsequently, both cases transferred to CBI.
The central agency adds the names of six accused persons between June 2010 and November 2010 and arrests three of the accused including right-wing activist Swami Aseemanand alias Naba Kumar Sarkar from Haridwar on November 19, 2010. .........................
CBI files first chargesheet in December 2010 ................................
NIA takes over the case from CBI in April 2011, which re-registers the case under relevant sections of IPC and Explosives Substances Act and Unlawful Activites (Prevention) Act ........................
NIA files three supplementary chargesheets during May 2011, July 2012 and August 2013. .....................................
Swami Aseemanand gets bail in the case along with Mohanlal Rateshwar alias Bharat Bhai, a co-accused in the case in March 2017.
Devendra Gupta, Lokesh Sharma and Rajendra Chowdhary in judicial remand and lodged in Cherlapally Central Prison in Hyderabad ..............................
Five accused Devendra Gupta, Lokesh Sharma, Swami Aseemanand, Bharat Mohanlal Rateshwar and Rajendra Chowdhary, face trial in the case and the trial completed in March 2018 .............................
April 16
A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court acquits five persons including Swami Aseemanand in the case, ruling that the prosecution failed to prove charges against them.
The court of the Fourth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge and Special Judge for NIA cases finds Devendra Gupta, Lokesh Sharma, Swami Aseemanand, Bharat Mohanlal Rateshwar and Rajendra Chowdhary not guilty and acquits them of all the charges.
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