HYDERABAD: A division bench of Telangana High Court on Tuesday made it clear to the kin of the deceased of Mecca Masjid blast case that there was no provision in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act which provides any right to appeal to the victims even if they were aggrieved by the trial court order.
On April 16 last year, a NIA special court acquitted all the five accused in the blast case saying the prosecution did not provide satisfactory evidence.
The bench was dealing with a petition filed by the victims’ families challenging Section 21 (5) of the NIA Act which gives only three months time to the aggrieved party to prefer an appeal. Petitioners’ counsel submitted that they have filed an appeal before the high court as the NIA chose not to prefer an appeal against the order of the special court. After hearing, the bench suggested the counsel to make his submissions where his appeal was pending.
It also directed the assistant solicitor general K Lakshman to get instructions from the Centre on the petition challenging Section 21 (5) of the NIA Act, and adjourned the case hearing to June.