Verdict in Akshardham case likely tomorrow

Ahmedabad, Jun 30 (UNI) The judgement in the Akshardham terror attack case of September 24, 2002 in which 34 people were killed and 81 injured, is expected to be delivered tomorrow.

The POTA court, which conducted the trial of the case, was to give its verdict today, but postponed it for tomorrow.

Two Pakistan-based terrorists had stormed the Swaminarayan (Akshardham) temple in Gandhinagar dressed in Army fatigues and opened fire with automatic weapons and lobbed grenades, killing 34 people and leaving 81 injured.

The terrorists, identified as Murtuza Hafiz Yasin and Asrafali Mohammed Farooq, of the Tehreeq-e-Qasas group, a part of the Lashkar e Taiba, were later gunned down by the National Security Guards.

Six people have been arrested in this connection and charged with conspiracy and waging a war against the nation. They include Chand Khan Sajjad Khan alias Shanmiya from Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, Mufti Abdulkayyum Mansuri, Abdullah Miya, Altafhussain Malek, Mohammed salim Mohammedhanif Shaikh and Adam Ajmeri.

However, the main accused of the attack are still at large. They include Abu Hamza, a LeT operative, now based in Riyadh, Farooq Mohammed Hanif Shaikh, Abdulrashid Suleman Ajmeri and Mohammeduvesh Kadri, all residents of Ahmedabad.

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