Arrested accused conspirator of Delhi HC blast: NIA to court

Amir Abbas Dev, a Jammu and Kashmir native, was one of the terrorists involved in the Delhi high court blast on September 7 that killed 15 and injured over 90 persons, National Investigation Agency told a special court. He was sent to judicial custody till Friday by the special NIA court, which, in the forenoon, remanded co-accused Abid Hussain to the custody of the agency till October 5.

"Dev is one of the terrorists who had conducted bomb blast between gate number 4 and 5 of the Delhi high court. He is one of the conspirator and needs to be interrogated thoroughly to trace out their complexity in this terrorist crime and other associates are also involved in this terrorist crime and conspiracy," NIA, in its application seeking to interrogate the accused, said.

During separate proceedings, Special NIA judge H S Sharma allowed the agency in the forenoon to quiz accused Abid Hussain who is in its custody for 14 days till October five. However, Dev, produced with his face covered in the afternoon, was sent to judicial custody till Friday as there was no lawyer to defend him and oppose the plea of NIA seeking his custodial interrogation in the case.

Following a request by NIA in the morning for in-camera proceedings, the special judge asked the scribes to vacate the courtroom. "Only those persons will stand in the court whom I will allow. Please vacate the court," the judge said.

Hussain and Dev, who were brought to Delhi on Wednesday following their arrest at Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir, had allegedly sent emails to media houses claiming responsibility for the blast on behalf of banned terror outfit Harkat ul-Jihad al-Islami.

The two accused have been booked under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Explosive Substances Act, dealing with conspiracy, murder, attempt to kill, causing hurt and using explosives.

Hussain, who is said to be a student of Islamia Faridia Higher Secondary School at Kishtwar, was arrested on September 13 for allegedly sending the terror mail, NIA said.

Dev, who is pursuing BA course through correspondence at Maulana Azad Urdu University in Hyderabad, not only sent the e-mails but also took part in the blast, the agency said in its application.

Dev was arrested three days after the arrest of Hussain on September 16 at Kishtwar by the state police after the emails were tracked. He is accused of handing over the draft mail three days before the blast to the two high school students.

He is alleged to have drafted the mail and then handed it ver to the two boys with the instruction that it was to be ailed to media houses immediately after the blasts.

Third accused Shariq Ahmed, who was also arrested in connection with the case, has so far not been produced in the court.