Abu Jundal in NIA's custody, claims torture

Abu Jundal, a 26/11 key handler and LeT terrorist, was on Monday handed over to the NIA for custodial interrogation by a Delhi court where he claimed that he was "tortured" physically and mentally during the probe by various agencies since his arrest in June this year.

Jundal was produced before District Judge (DJ) H S Sharma during an in-chamber proceeding and was remanded to National Investigation Agency's (NIA) custody till October 20 for his interrogation.

NIA sought 15 days police custody of Jundal saying he is required to be "thoroughly investigated" and that he has never been in their custody before.

The court accepted the NIA's plea saying that there is justification to remand Jundal in police custody.

"The accused is named in the FIR. He had not been arrested by the NIA. There is justification to remand the accused to police custody. Accordingly, the accused is remanded to police custody till October 20," the court said.

Before he was sent to NIA's custody, Jundal told the court that he had already disclosed the facts which were within his knowledge to the other probe agencies.

"He (Jundal) has already been interrogated by different agencies. The NIA can take the documents from other agencies including the Special Cell of Delhi Police...he (Jundal) has been tortured mentally as well as physically.

"He (Jundal) has already disclosed the facts which were within his knowledge," Jundal's counsel Akram Khan told the court while opposing the NIA's plea seeking 15 days police custody of his client.

The NIA sought Jundal's custody in connection with an FIR registered earlier this year following unearthing of a Lashkar-e-Tayiba's (LeT) conspiracy for terror strikes across the country.

The designated NIA court had earlier issued production warrants against Jundal.

Jundal had earlier been handed over to ATS Mumbai after the Delhi police had said that he was no longer required to be interrogated by it in the Jama Masjid attack case.

Mumbai ATS had wanted him in connection with the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case, the 26/11 Mumbai mayhem, the 2010 German bakery blast and the Nasik Academy attack.

Jundal was brought back to Delhi by Mumbai ATS which had produced him before a magisterial court here on October 4.

The Delhi police had earlier filed a charge sheet against Jundal accusing him of being involved in terror activities across India to avenge atrocities against Muslims, particularly those committed during 2002 Gujarat riots.

The charge sheet filed by the Special Cell in the court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vidya Prakash, had said that Jundal disclosed that he along with LeT chief Zaki-ur-Rehman alias Lakhvi, monitored the 26/11 attacks from a control room set up in Malir in Karachi, Pakistan.

The charge sheet said after being apprehended from the IGI airport on June 21, Jundal, during questioning, admitted to his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.

Delhi Police had said this in a supplementary charge sheet in the Jama Masjid blast case in which 11 alleged members of militant outfit Indian Mujahideen were charge-sheeted earlier.