Abu Jundal threatens to go on fast

Suspected Lashkar-e-Tayiba operative and key plotter of 26/11 terror strikes Abu Jundal has threatened to go on a hunger strike if he is not taken out of solitary confinement.

He made the threat in a letter submitted on Monday by authorities of Arthur Road jail, where he has been lodged, to the special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act court, which is trying him in connection with the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case.

"Jundal wrote this letter to jail authorities on March 28, stating that if he is not allowed to mingle with other prisoners, then he would go on a hunger strike," said his advocate Ejaz Naqvi.

The hearing on the letter is likely on Tuesday.

Jundal is one of the 22 accused in the arms haul case, wherein the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad team had seized 30 kg RDX, 10 AK-47 assault rifles and 3,200 bullets on May 8, 2006 from three persons after chasing a Tata Sumo and an Indica car on the Chandwad-Manmad Highway near Aurangabad.

The Indica was allegedly driven by Jundal, who managed to give police the slip at that time.

According to prosecution, Jundal then drove to Malegaon and handed over the vehicle to an acquaintance, before escaping to Pakistan via Bangladesh on a fake passport in May 2006.