Judge resigns after delivering Mecca Masjid blast verdict

K Ravinder Reddy, the special judge for NIA cases, tendered his resignation, citing "personal" reasons barely hours after pronouncing the judgement in which he held that the prosecution failed to prove "even a single allegation" against the five accused.

Reddy said his resignation had nothing to do with today's judgement, according to a senior judicial officer, who did not want to be named.

AIMIM Chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, meanwhile, tweeted, "Judge who gave acquittal to all accused in Mecca Masjid Blast RESIGNS very intriguing and I am surprised with the Lordship decision", amid questions over the functioning of the National Investigation Agency(NIA).

"He has sent the resignation letter to MSJ (Metropolitan Sessions Judge), he has cited personal grounds and it has nothing to do with today's verdict in the Mecca Masjid blast case," the senior judicial officer told PTI, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Reddy, had apparently taken the decision to resign sometimes back itself, the officer said.