Hyderabad: The eighth anniversary of the Macca Masjid blast passed off peacefully on Monday. Security was beefed up and additional forces were deployed in the old city around Macca Masjid. Special prayers were held after Namaz-e-Zohar at the Masjid and devotees prayed for those who were killed in the terror attack.
Elaborate security arrangements were made by the police around the Macca Masjid and other areas in the old city. Since Monday morning the police had cordoned off the area and deployed special forces, fire brigade and ambulances. Platoons of the Special Reserve Police and RAF were also deployed near the historic mosque.
South Zone DCP V. Satyanarayana was at the spot since morning and personally supervised security arrangements, while additional DCP Babu Rao, ACP Ashok Chakravarty and other senior officials like M.A. Siddiqui and Mohammed Ismail too were present.
Nine persons were killed in the Macca Masjid blast after Friday prayers on May 18, 2007. Five others, who protested against the blast, were killed in police firing.
Initially, many Muslim youths were implicated in the blast case and later it was proved that the blast was executed by right wing activists.
The innocent youths were later released and apart from paying compensation, Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy apologised to the youths on the floor of the Assembly.
Although the police arrested the main accused Swami Aseemanand and a some others the investigation is still going on.
