By IANS,
Hyderabad : The third anniversary of the bomb blast at historic Mecca Masjid here passed off peacefully amid tight security.
No untoward incident was reported from any part of the city, police said. The afternoon and evening prayers at the 17th century mosque passed off peacefully as police made elaborate security arrangements.
A tight vigil was maintained across the old city after unidentified gunmen killed a policeman last Friday. The motorcycle borne suspected terrorists shot dead the police constable at Shahali Banda, about a km from Mecca Masjid.
One policeman was gunned down in a similar fashion by unidentified persons on this day last year. Police suspect involvement of suspected terrorists, who have allegedly vowed revenge for the police firing after the blast three years ago.
Nine people were killed in the blast during Friday prayers at the mosque May 18, 2007. Five more persons were killed in the subsequent police firing on protestors outside the mosque.
Police are yet to achieve a breakthrough in the blast case. Initially the Bangladesh-based Harkatul Jihad-e-Islami (Huji) was blamed for the attack and some suspects were also picked up.
Though the investigations were handed over to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the case has not been cracked even after three year. The government said the case has turned ‘cold’ as the two primary suspects were killed in an alleged shootout in Pakistan.
The case, however, took a new turn early this month with the CBI questioning the members of some Hindu extremist outfits allegedly involved in Ajmer Dargah blast for their role in Mecca Masjid case. Various organisations have demanded fresh probe into the case in view of the revelations.
The Bhaskar Rao Commission formed by the Andhra Pradesh government to probe police firing has also not submitted its report even after three years.