Statement of Delhi HC blast accused recorded on-camera

A Delhi court today recorded the statement of Aamir Abbas Dev, an accused in the September 7 Delhi High Court blast case, in an on-camera proceeding.

Metropolitan Magistrate Sudesh Kumar, who was assigned the task to record the testimony of Dev under section 164 of the CrPC, himself took down the statement of the accused. The statements recorded by a magistrate under the CrPC bind the accused and any U-turn during the trial would make him liable for prosecution for the offence of perjury.

Dev, a native of Jammu and Kashmir, is accused of sending terror e-mails to media groups after the blast outside the gate of the High Court on September 7. Fifteen persons died and 70 others were injured in the blast.

Earlier, Special NIA Judge HS Sharma had remanded Dev to judicial custody till October 24 after the probe agency said his custodial interrogation was over. Dev was brought to Delhi on September 21 along with his minor co-accused following their arrest at Kishtwar, Jammu Kashmir.

The court had also remanded third accused Wasim Akram Malik to 14 days of NIA custody. The accused had allegedly sent emails to media houses claiming responsibility for the blast on behalf of banned terror outfit Harkat ul-Jihad al-Islami (HUJI).

Dev and Hussain have been booked under various provisions of the IPC, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Explosive Substances Act, dealing with conspiracy, murder, attempt to kill, causing hurt and using explosives.