Mecca Masjid - File photo

On 18 May 2007, the old city area in Hyderabad, capital of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, experienced a bomb blast. The blast occurred inside the Mecca Masjid,^[1] located very close to Charminar. The blast was caused by a cellphone-triggered pipe bomb.^[2] Fourteen people were reported dead in the immediate aftermath, of whom five(official record:disputed) were killed by the police firing after the incident while trying to quell the mob.^[3] According to the Deccan Chronicle, the bomb comprised a high explosive substance filled in a 10-inch by 3-inch pipe. The Andhra Pradesh Forensic Science Laboratory claims that RDX and TNT were used in the 10" by 3" pipe bomb. The bomb was placed under a heavy granite slab that broke in two. Police later said that the slab had taken the force of the impact and saved many lives. Hyderabad or Haydarābād (Telugu: హైదరాబాదు Urdu: حیدر آباد ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. ... Mecca Masjid - Late 19th Century Mecca Masjid - Now Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad, India is one of the oldest and the biggest mosques in India. ... is the 138th day of the year (139th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... The 2001 Indian Parliament attack was a high-profile attack by Pakistan based Kashmiri terrorists against the building housing the Parliament of India in New Delhi. ... On 25 August 2003, twin car bombings struck the Indian city of Mumbai killing at least 52 people, and injuring nearly 150. ... On July 5, 2005, five militants attacked the site of the destroyed Babri Mosque and the Ram Janmabhoomi, in Ayodhya, India. ... India map showing Delhi The 29 October 2005 Delhi bombings occurred on October 29, 2005 in the Indian city of Delhi, killing 59 people and injuring at least 200 others [1] in three explosions. ... Location of Varanasi in India Map of blast locations The 7 March 2006 Varanasi bombings were a series of bombings that occured across the Hindu holy city of Varanasi in India on 7 March 2006. ... Jama Masjid in Old Delhi On April 14, 2006, two explosions occured in the courtyard of Jama Masjid, a 17th-century mosque in Old Delhi (India). ... Map showing the Western line and blast locations. ... The 2006 Malegaon bombings were a series of bomb blasts that took place on 8 September in Malegaon, a town in the Nashik district of the Indian state of Maharashtra, located at some 290 km to the northeast of state capital Mumbai. ... The Samjhauta Express bombings were terrorist attacks that occurred just before midnight and into the early hours of February 19, 2007, on the Friendship Express, a twice-weekly train service connecting Delhi, India, and Lahore, Pakistan. ... The Hyderabad bombings refers to the incident in which two bombs exploded almost simultaneously on 25 August 2007 in Hyderabad, capital of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. ... Image File history File links WikiNews-Logo. ... Wikinews is a free-content news source and a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. ... is the 138th day of the year (139th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... , For other uses, see Hyderabad. ... India is subdivided into 28 states, 6 union territories and a national capital territory. ... , Andhra Pradesh (Telugu: , Urdu: ) or AP, the Rice Bowl of India, is a state in southern India. ... Mecca Masjid - Late 19th Century Mecca Masjid - Now Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad, India is one of the oldest and the biggest mosques in India. ... Charminar (Nastaliq: چار مینار, Devanagari: चार मीनार, translation: Four Towers), or a mosque of the four minarets, is a monument located in the City of Hyderabad, the capital city of the state of Andhra Pradesh in India. ... Cellular redirects here. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... The Deccan Chronicle Deccan Chronicle is a regional English daily in India. ... Agents of the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division investigate a crime scene Forensic science (often shortened to forensics) is the application of a broad spectrum of sciences to answer questions of interest to the legal system. ... [edit] Headline text ANEWNGONEWGEQWMedia:Example. ... // TNT may refer to: Trinitrotoluene, the chemical explosive usually known as TNT Alkyl nitrites, TNT is a UK brand for this medicinal and recreational Turner Network Television, cable television network TNT N.V., Dutch international transport and logistics corporation, and its divisions TNT Express, Global Express Delivery Services TNT Logistics... Close-up of granite from Yosemite National Park, valley of the Merced River Quarrying granite for the Mormon Temple, Utah Territory. ...

The blast occurred near the open air section of the Mecca Masjid. At the time of the blast more than 10,000 people were inside the mosque premises, for the Friday prayers. The injured were treated at the Osmania hospital in Hyderabad. Among the Muslim community, many believe that the bombing may have been caused by Hindu extremists. A mosque is a place of worship for followers of the Islamic faith. ... The Friday prayer is a congregational prayer that Muslims hold Fridays at noon or evening. ... A Hindu ( , Devanagari: हिन्दु), as per modern definition, is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, and the religious, philosophical and cultural system that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... This article is becoming very long. ...

Following this Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra were put on alert. State Home Minister K Jana Reddy said the blast, which injured over fifty people in addition to the death toll, could be the act of foreign elements. , “Bombay” redirects here. ... , Maharashtra (Marathi: महाराष्ट्र , IPA:  , English: ) is Indias third largest state in terms of area and second largest in terms of population after Uttar Pradesh. ...

Rioting and Police firing

Five individuals died as a result of the police firing. This has caused considerable controversy. The Telegraph reports ^[4]:

Six rounds were fired in the afternoon and evening to prevent shops and public property from being damaged, including petrol pumps and ATMs. One person was killed in the firing in the Moghapura area, while two fell to the police bullets elsewhere. Another lost his life when the police had to pull the trigger to control a mob trying to break into an ATM.

According to police commissioner Balwinder Singh, his men resorted to firing after water cannons, tear gas and baton-charge failed to bring the mob fury under control.

It is reported that ^[5]a frenzied mob attacked state-owned road transport corporation buses, forcing the closure of Falaknuma bus depot.

According to the police, the rioters were trying to set fire to a petrol pump^[6]. Inspector P. Sudhakar of Falaknuma police station, who has been removed from his position on the charge of opening fire `indiscriminately' to control the rampaging mobs ^[7] stated:

"While I asked my subordinates to be on high alert, mobs from Shalibanda and the mosque came towards Moghalpura pelting stones. They set ablaze a wine shop and charged towards a petrol pump where we were stationed."

The mobs took out petrol from the dispenser and sprinkled it on the room. "When they tried to ignite it with the help of dry grass, I ordered my men to open fire with .303 rifles to disperse them," he says. "As the situation turned worse, I sought additional forces. Quick Reaction teams along with Moghalpura Inspector arrived and scattered the crowed by opening fire." At least 10 persons, including policemen, could have been killed if fire orders were not issued, he insists.

Charminar Division police officer B Reddena stated ^[8]:

"The mob tried to set a petrol pump and some policemen ablaze. We had no option but to fire,"

However local politician MIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi has stated that police could have could have controlled the situation without resorting to firing ^[9].

"Police wanted to cover up their mistakes, their wrong doings and they have ensured that innocent people die in police firing"

Some of those who were injured in the firing have claimed that they were doing nothing wrong^[10].

1. One person has claimed that he was fired at while he was proceeding towards his house by that side
2. A 17-year-old boy has claimed that he was fired at while he was going into the Asra Hospital to donate his blood for one of his relatives.
3. Yet another has claimed that he was fired at while he was trying to lift a fallen man due to bullet injuries

Local Muslim organisations have demanded immediate suspension of police officers involved in ‘unwarranted’ and ‘unprovoked’ firing on protestors following the bomb blast^[11].

1. United Muslim Action Committee (UMAC) demanded that the guilty police officers be suspended pending the judicial probe into the firing.
2. “We will submit the list of non-Muslim judges and the government may choose one of them to head the probe,” stated Hyderabad MP and Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi.
3. A committee led by eminent religious scholar Moulana Hameeduddin Auqil Hussami decided to demanf Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy suspension of police officials involved in firing.

The American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin^[12]took strong exception to the police firing on what it calls "panicked worshippers". Dr. Mukhi said it "could have been clearly avoided." He urged stern action against offending officers. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (meaning All India Council of the Union of Muslims, name in Urdu: , Kul Hind Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen) is a Muslim political party India. ...

The chief minister has announced a judicial probe into firing. He also announced a payment of Rs. 600,000 to each familiy of the deceased, and said a member of each of the affected families would be given a government job ^[13].

See also

• 2006 Malegaon blasts

The 2006 Malegaon bombings were a series of bomb blasts that took place on 8 September in Malegaon, a town in the Nashik district of the Indian state of Maharashtra, located at some 290 km to the northeast of state capital Mumbai. ...

References

1. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6668695.stm Article on BBC website
2. ^ http://deccan.com/home/homedetails.asp#Killer bomb in Mecca Masjid
3. ^ http://deccan.com/home/homedetails.asp#Killer bomb in Mecca Masjid
4. ^ http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070519/asp/nation/story_7799987.asp
5. ^ http://www.ibnlive.com/news/india/05_2007/4-killed-as-cops-fire-on-frenzied-mob-40874.html
6. ^ http://www.timesnow.tv/Sections/Sports/Decoding_the_Hyderabad_blast/articleshow/2073160.cms Decoding the Hyderabad blast
7. ^ http://www.hindu.com/2007/05/25/stories/2007052519790500.htm I've acted to avert a disaster: Inspector
8. ^ http://www.hindustantimes.com/storypage/storypage.aspx?id=24dfdaae-7566-4379-a762-b7c120458df1&ParentID=6996442f-f5af-4b83-a098-ba9d6a495b68&MatchID1=4467&TeamID1=2&TeamID2=4&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1110&PrimaryID=4467&Headline=Hyderabad+on+the+edge+as+blast+toll+mounts+to+16
9. ^ http://www.ibnlive.com/news/india/05_2007/hyderabad-police-under-fire-for-firing-40895.html
10. ^ http://www.milligazette.com/dailyupdate/2007/200705234_Report_fact_finding_bomb_blast_Mecca_Masjid_islamic_muslims.htm
11. ^ http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=World_News&subsection=India&month=May2007&file=World_News2007052792039.xml Muslim groups demand suspension of guilty cops
12. ^ http://www.indianmuslims.info/news/2007/may/23/american_muslims_indian_origin_condemns_blasts_hyderabad_gorakhpur.html
13. ^ http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/May202007/national200705202735.asp?section=frontpagenews

External links

• Article on Zee News
• Bomb hits mosque in India
• 9 killed in Hyderabad blast; 5 in police firing
• Bomb hits Indian Mosque (MSNBC)
• 5 killed in Indian Mosque attack (CNN)