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Judge who acquitted Swami Aseemanand wants to join BJP

K Ravinder Reddy, who delivered a verdict in the Mecca Masjid blast case, has expressed a keenness to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), triggering war of words in the state.

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Two blasts ripped through Hyderabad in May 2007
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As Telangana prepares for elections, former judge K Ravinder Reddy, who delivered a verdict in the Mecca Masjid blast case, has expressed a keenness to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), triggering war of words in the state.

The judge who had quit hours after delivering the verdict, described the BJP a “patriotic party”, one which does not have “family rule”. The BJP had put up banners to welcome him, but later developed cold feet to get himin. Reddy, meanwhile, told reporters he was asked to keep plans of joining the BJP on hold, but that no reason was cited.

Reddy, the then judge of the special anti-terror court, had on April 16 this year acquitted Swami Aseemanand, Devendra Gupta, Lokesh Sharma (also accused in the 2008 Malegaon blasts), Bharat Mohanlal Rateshwar alias Bharat Bhai and Rajendra Chowdhary of their involvement in the Mecca Masjid blasts.

Former Union minister and Secundrabad MP Bandaru Dattatreya had felicitated him and invited him to join the party. “I also expressed my interest to join as I believe it is a party which has a national interest. It is the only national-level patriotic party and does not have any family-rule,” media reports had quoted the judge as saying. However, the BJP rubbished the claim that Reddy has joined its ranks. “He met party president Amit Shah during his recent visit to Hyderabad. But the party has not decided anything on him, whether to employ his services or not,” said state BJP president K Laxman.

Soon after the news of Reddy joining the BJP went public, Opposition politicians began reacting to it. Majlis Itihadul Muslimeen ( MIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi took to social media. “Yes, retired judge saheb, we knew where you were heading and certainly you will be rewarded by ‘Supreme Leader’, and Assemanand Co. will campaign for you. I hope you lose your deposit,” he said on Twitter.

The Mecca Masjid blast took place on May 18, 2007, soon after Friday prayers, and nine persons had died while 58 were injured.

Reddy, the then additional metropolitan sessions judge, had resigned after pronouncing the judgment. He was among 11 subordinate judges suspended by the Hyderabad High Court in June 2016 for protesting appointment of the judges who hail from Andhra Pradesh to the courts in Telangana and over the demand for setting up a separate high court for Telangana. The suspension was later revoked.

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