Twin blasts: HC to hold a refer trial

HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad High Court on Monday issued notices to twin blasts convicts Aniq Shafiq Sayeed and Mohammad Akbar Ismail Chowdary asking them to state their defence in the Gokul Chat-Lumbini blasts case, in which 44 people were killed.
The bench of Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice T Amarnath Goud directed the Charlapalli jail superintendent to hand over these notices to them. As is the norm, the death punishment awarded by the trial court becomes final only when the high court confirms it after holding a ‘refer trial’.Accordingly, the trial court has forwarded the judgment and the case material to the HC for a refer trial. Whethter the death convicts prefer an appeal or not, the HC would hear them again before deciding the case at its end, CBI counsel K Surender told TOI. The case will come up for hearing after four weeks.
It can be recalled the trial court gave death sentence to the duo on September 10. But the judgment cannot be brought into force unless it is confirmed by the HC under Section 366 of CrPC. If the convicts appeal against the trial court order, the HC then clubs its refer trial with their appeals and would hold a common hearing for both of them.