Mecca Masjid blast case: Resignation of judge who acquitted five rejected, says report

NIA special court judge Ravinder Reddy had resigned citing personal reasons on the same day as when he had acquitted ten accused in the 11-year-old Mecca Masjid blast case.

New Delhi: The resignation of NIA special court judge Ravinder Reddy was on Thursday rejected by High Court of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, according to reports. Reddy had acquited ten accused - including Swami Aseemanand, in the Mecca Masjid blast case.

Reddy, who had sent his resignation letter to the Metropolitan Sessions Judge on Monday, had cited 'personal reasons' for taking the decision. A senior judicial officer had told news agency PTI that Reddy's decision had nothing to do with the verdict in the 11-year-old blast case and that he had made up his mind earlier. The High Court of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana though reportedly rejected his resignation application and has asked him to attend to his duties immediately, reported news agency ANI quoting sources.

Reddy had tendered his resignation on the same day when he acquitted five accused in the 2007 blasts in Hyderabad. In his order, Reddy had said that the NIA did not have enough evidence to prove the link between the accused and the blasts which had killed nine and had injured more than 50. All the accused were members of right-wing Hindu organisation Abhinav Bharat.