Two 2008 serial blasts accused get police custody till September 6

A local court here today sent two accused in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts case to police custody till September 6.

Mohammed Mobin Abdul Shakoor Khan alias Irfan (32) and his cousin Ayub Raja Amin Shaikh (28), accused of providing vehicles used in July 26, 2008 serial blasts that claimed 57 lives here, were arrested by Maharashtra ATS this July.

They were today brought to city through a transfer warrant and produced before magistrate B J Ganatra.

The city crime branch, which is probing the case, had sought 14-day remand for the duo, however, the court granted police custody till September 6.

The remand had been sought to get details of the other absconding accused in the case.

According to the crime branch, the two alleged Indian Mujahideen (IM) operatives had stolen four vehicles from near Mumbai. Two of them were used in Ahmedabad blasts while the rest were taken to Surat, where bombs planted on the vehicles did not go off.

Two months prior to the blasts, the duo was told by Afzal Usmani Mutallib (36), who had recruited them in the IM, that four-wheelers were required for packing them with explosives and that would be used in the two important cities in Gujarat, according to police.

Mohammed and Ayub allegedly stole two Maruti Wagon R cars from New Panvel and Vashi on the intervening night of July 7 and 8, 2008, and drove them to Surat and handed them over to other accused.

Two more vehicles -- a Maruti 800 car from Nerul and a Wagon-R from New Panvel -- were stolen and brought to Ahmedabad.

The duo were also wanted by Mumbai Crime Branch for allegedly sending threatening emails to various media organisations, warning about impending blasts.