Three aides of Abdul Karim Tunda remanded in judicial custody

LeT bomb expert Abdul Karim Tunda's three close aides, who had allegedly helped in infiltration of Pakistani and Bangladeshi terrorists into India in 1997 to carry out terror strikes, were on Monday remanded in judicial custody till October 14 by a Delhi court.

Allauddin, Mohd Basiruddin and Mohd Zakaria were produced before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Amit Bansal after expiry of their police custody and special cell of Delhi Police said they be sent to judicial remand as their custodial interrogation was not required.

The special cell had earlier claimed that Allauddin and Basiruddin had met Tunda in 1994 through Tunda's father-in-law Zakaria before joining the banned LeT.

The trio was accused of helping Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals, allegedly involved in various terror strikes in 1997 in India, to infiltrate into the country.

The three accused, who were lodged in separate jails in West Bengal in connection with cases lodged there, were produced before the court here after issuance of production warrants against them.

Tunda, who is currently in police custody till Tuesday in connection with a separate bomb blast case, is one of the 20 terrorists whom India had asked Pakistan government to hand over after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

He is suspected to be involved in 40 bombings in India. He is the first on the list to be arrested.

Tunda was arrested from Indo-Nepal border at Banbasa on August 16. He was earlier remanded in police custody for questioning in connection with 37 bomb blast cases across the country.

A number of Pakistani nationals and others were arrested in 1998 in connection with the 37 bomb blasts.