Summary:
Kochi, Jan 27 (PTI) In a setback to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Kerala High Court on Thursday acquitted alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative Thadiyantevida Nazeer and Shafas, convicted by the NIA court here in 2011 in connection with the 2006 Kozhikode twin blasts case .
The court allowed the appeal filed by first accused Nazeer and fourth accused Shafas against the life imprisonment sentence awarded by the NIA special court.
A Division Bench, comprising Justices K Vinod Chandran and Ziyad Rahman, also declined the appeal filed by the NIA challenging the NIA court"s order acquitting two other accused in the case--Abdul Halim and Abubacker Yusuf.
Nazeer and the other accused were charged with conspiring, planning and executing the bomb blasts in Kozhikode KSRTC and mofussil bus stands on March 3, 2006.
The Special Court for NIA Cases had found both Nazeer and Shafas guilty of the offences under various sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967 (UAPA) and they were sentenced to imprisonment for life.
In its order, the high court said there is no reliable evidence on the preparation or commission of the crime that would incriminate the accused beyond reasonable doubt.