HC rejects serial blasts accused's plea against police custody

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court, on Wednesday, dismissed a petition filed by suspected terrorists challenging their custodial interrogation beyond 15 days. These terrorists were allegedly involved in the  September 13 serial blasts.

Justice Kailash Gambhir dismissed the plea of Mohd Shakeel and Zeeshan Ahmed, who, along with three others have been arrested for allegedly carrying out the Delhi blasts.

Both the accused had on approached the court on October 22 seeking to quash a trial court's order sending them to police
custody till October 27.

Appearing for the family members of the accused, counsel Prashant Bhushan had contended that an accused can be detained for a maximum period of 15 days but the lower court had allegedly erred by extending their police custody beyond the period.

The petitioners had challenged the trail court's order of October 16 under which the five suspects, Mohammed Saif, Zeeshan Ahmad, Mohammed Shakeel, Zia-ur-Rehman and Saquib Nissar were remanded to 12 days' fresh police custody.

Zeeshan, 23, and Shakeel, 24, were arrested by the Delhi Police on September 19 and 20 respectively, and were remanded to police custody till October 16. Their police remand was further granted till October 27.

On October 27, the five accused were handed over to Gujarat Police for their alleged involvement in the serial blasts in Ahmedabad.

Out of the five, Mohd Saif is at present in custody of Rajasthan police which are probing his alleged role in Jaipur serial blasts.

A series of blasts in the capital had claimed 26 lives and left scores others injured.