Three persons accused of abetting terror suspect Vikaruddin Ahmed, who was killed along with four of his associates while being brought to Hyderabad from Warangal prison, were acquitted of the charge on Wednesday in the case of killing a Home Guard on May 17, 2009.
Riyaz Khan, Mohd. Sayeed and Vinod Kumar Sahu, who are presently lodged in Cherlapally Central Prison, would not be set free immediately.
They are to face trial in the case of shooting down a police constable at Khilwat Junction in Old City on May 14, 2010.
Terror outfit
Vikaruddin, a Hyderabadi, was accused of floating his own terror outfit christened Tehreek Galba-e-Islam (TGI) to avenge the killing of Muslim youngsters in police firing following a bomb blast at Mecca Masjid on May 18, 2007.
Police maintained that Vikaruddin, with the help of one of his associates, shot dead a Home Guard Balaswamy at Falaknuma on the day of Mecca Masjid blast second anniversary.
Balaswamy, along with another police constable Rajendra Prasad, was deployed at Falaknuma as part of security arrangements marking Mecca Masjid terror attack second anniversary. Both were unarmed. Prasad was also fired at but he recovered later.
The next year, another attack was carried out on policemen allegedly by Vikaruddin gang at Khilwath Junction in the Old City three days ahead of third anniversary of Mecca Masjid blast. This time, two bike-borne persons fired at two policemen, killing a constable V. Ramesh on May 14, 2010.
About two months later, special teams of the then united Andhra Pradesh police busted the Tehreek Galba-e-Islam (TGI) catching Vikaruddin. Along with him, Riyaz Khan, Mohd. Sayeed, Mohd. Amjed, Mohd. Zakir and Dr. Hanif were also arrested.
Two others, Izhar Khan and Vinod Kumar Sahu, were arrested eventually from Uttar Pradesh. Out of these eight persons, Vikaruddin, Amjed, Zakir, Hanif and Izhar Khan were killed in an encounter with the police near Alair on Warangal-Hyderabad road while they were being brought from Warangal prison to the court in Hyderabad on April 7, 2015.
Encounter
While police maintained that the policemen escorting the prisoners opened fire after one of them sntached a policeman’s gun and fired at them, victims’ kin charged that they were murdered in a fake encounter.
The case of killing Balaswamy was investigated by the Organisation to Counter Terrorist Operations (OCTOPUS) initially. It was later transferred to the Counter Intelligenec cell who conducted the prosecution, counsel for the acquitted trio Muzafaralluh Khan said on Wednesday.
Trial of the killing of constable V. Ramesh was yet to be completed. Special Investigation Team of Hyderabad police had investigated the case.
They will not be set free now as they have to face trial in the case of shooting down cop in 2010.
