Thadiyantavida Nazeer and Shafas acquitted in Kozhikode twin blasts

KOZHIKODE: In a major setback to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Kerala High Court on Thursday acquitted the accused in the Kozhikode twin blasts case. The first accused Thadiyantevida Nazeer and the fourth accused Shafaz were acquitted. The court ruled in favour of the accused on appeal against the NIA court's sentence.

The NIA had awarded three and two life imprisonments to Nazeer and Shafas. The accused had approached the high court pleading innocence and cancellation of the sentence awarded. The court acquitted the accused for lack of evidence.

Of the nine accused in the case, the trial of three including two absconding is not yet completed. The NIA had filed an appeal questioning the acquittal of Abdul Halim and Aboobacker Yusaf, the third and ninth accused in the case. The blasts happened on March 3 in 2006 at the Kozhikode Moffusal bus stand and KSRTC stand.