New Delhi: Suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) operatives Abdul Subhan and his nephew Asahbuddin, arrested for their alleged roles in conspiring to carry out terror strikes in Delhi and adjoining areas, were on Thursday remanded to five-day police custody by a court here.
Subhan and Asahbuddin were produced before the court from judicial custody in pursuance to the production warrants issued against them on Wednesday.
Special Cell of Delhi Police moved an application seeking eight days police custody of the duo on the ground that they have to be confronted with co-accused Arshad Khan who was arrested Wednesday after being produced before the court from Kolkata Jail.
The police told the court that they were required to be confronted with Arshad, who was Wednesday remanded to police custody till August 21, to know about the penetration of LeT in Delhi and other parts of the country.
“To unearth the whole conspiracy for executing a terrorist strike in Delhi and neighbouring areas by these accused persons and to know the penetration of LeT in Delhi and other parts of India, all the three accused are to be confronted with each other,” the police said while seeking eight days police custody of both the accused. Advocate Akram Khan, who appeared for both Subhan and Asahbuddin, opposed the plea saying they have already been interrogated at length earlier by the police. Additional Sessions Judge Reetesh Singh granted police custody of the two accused till August 19.
Pakistani national Arshad Khan, who was lodged in Kolkata jail in connection with the shoe baron Partha Roy Burman kidnapping case of 2001, was Wednesday produced before the court.
The police had told the court that Arshad was needed to be interrogated about absconding top LeT commander Javed Baluchi, who is based in Pakistan.
The police had earlier filed its charge sheet in the case against accused Mohd Rashid and Mohd Shahid who were arrested in December last year from Haryana’s Mewat region. With their arrest, police had claimed to have unearthed a terror module of LeT which was at an “advanced stage” of planning a major strike in Delhi.
Subhan was arrested by the special cell on May 20 while Asahbuddin, who was serving life term in Kolkata for his role in Partha Roy Burman kidnapping case, was arrested here on May 27 after he was brought here in pursuance to a production warrant.
Police had told the court that Baluchi was the “kingpin” of the entire conspiracy and Arshad was in touch with him. It had said that these accused were arrested in connection with a case of conspiracy of LeT to kidnap a businessman or industrialist to generate funds for buying weapons and explosives to carry out terror attacks in Delhi and adjoining areas.
A charge sheet was filed against Rashid and Shahid on May 8, this year and they were charged with offences of criminal conspiracy under IPC and the provisions of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Rashid and Shahid are presently lodged in Tihar jail under judicial custody.(PTI)
