SIMI suspects sent to jail for questioning

AHMEDABAD: Two suspected activists of banned Students Islamic Movement of India  (SIMI), arrested for their alleged role in the July 26 serial blasts here and planting bombs in Surat, were on Thursday sent to 14-day police custody for questioning.

The suspects, Tanveer Pathan and Zaheer Patel, were produced by the Surat police at the metropolitan court here. Judge G.M. Patel sent them to jail till Sep 25 after the police sought more time to investigate the planting of bombs in Surat and their role in Ahmedabad serial blasts.

A series of 20-odd bombings had ripped through the Gujarat's main city of Ahmedabad July 26 killing 56 people. Subsequently, at least 25 bombs were recovered in Surat.

Last Saturday, the two were sent by Judge Patel to four days remand.

The judge had also sent Abbas Sameja of Bhuj, Naved Qadri, Ayaz Saiyed and Javed Ahmed Shaikh of Ahmedabad to custody till Sep 18.

The crime branch of the city police had sought their custody to interrogate them. Its lawyer told the court the suspects were "well-educated and could misguide the police". The lawyers also accused that they played a major role in persuading young men to undertake terrorist activities.