Accused in 26/7 get 7-day remand

The court of metropolitan magistrate GM Patel on Thursday sent five persons, accused in the 26/7 Ahmedabad serial blast case, to seven-day police remand. The five, identified as Nasir Ahmed Patel, Sakil Ahmed Mali, Nadeem Abdul Syed, Dr Astaullah HA and Mohammed Sami Raj Ahmed, were produced before the court after the city crime branch brought them here from Karnataka jail.

All the accused had participated in the training camps at Vagamon in the Idukki district of Kerala during December 2007-January 2008. At these camps, members of the banned terrorist organisation, Simi, along with bomb experts, taught participants how to assemble explosives with easily available materials. 

 Simi activists had used IEDs with ammonium nitrate and mechanical timers in the Ahmedabad blasts.

The prosecution lawyer sought their remand on grounds that the police are yet to arrest the other accused who participated in the training camps. They therefore wanted more time to interrogate the five for acquiring details. Earlier, the prosecution lawyer pleaded for 14- day remand of the accused, but they were sent to remand till July 31.