Delhi police gets custody of two alleged IM men

The custody of two alleged Indian Mujahideen members, brought to New Delhi from a Bangalore jail, was on Monday given to Delhi police for ten days by a court in the Jama Masjid attack case in which Mumbai's 26/11 terrorists' handler Abu Jundal is also an accused.

The suspected IM men Kamal Hasan alias Bilal and Kafil Akhtar were arrested and produced before the court of Chief Metroolitan Magistrate Vinod Yadav in execution of the production warrant issued by him on June 25.

The special cell, while seeking their custody, said the duo have disclosed during interrogation that they can lead the police to hideouts of absconding persons Ahmad Sidibappa, the chief of IM in India, and another person named Tehsin.

The police had in its chargesheet filed in the case said all the arrested IM men were operating under instruction from Ahmed Siddhibappa and Iqbal Bhatkal, Riaz Bhatkal and Amir Reza Khan who are the founder members of IM and are based in Karachi.

Both Hasan and Akhtar were lodged in Bangalore's central prison following their arrest by the Bangalore Crime Branch in May for their roles in the Chinnaswamy Stadium blast.

The special cell had sought their custody for their interrogation about their roles in providing hideouts and logistics to 11 other IM members for executing various terror strikes across India.

The police told the court that two other accused persons have already made disclosure statements naming them to be actively involved in the conspiracy whereby large quantities of arms and ammunitions were procured by them including a firearm factory, and that the object of collection of such a big haul of arms was to carry out terror strikes across the country.

The Special Cell had arrested 11 alleged IM operatives --Mohd Irshad Khan, Asadullah Rehman, Mohd Adil, Bashir Hasan, Abdul Rehman, Mohd Kafil, Mohd Quateel Siddiqui, Gauhar Aziz, Gayur Ahmed, Mohd Aftab Alam and Tariq Anjum Ahsan.

They are accused of being involved in various terror attacks on Jama Masjid, German Bakery blast in Pune, Bangalore's Chinnaswami Stadium bomb explosion and other incidents.

Of the 11, Siddiqui was killed in Pune jail when he was in the custody of Pune ATS. The remaining ten are currently lodged in Tihar jail.

All the accused persons have been charge-sheeted under various provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Explosive Substances Act, Arms Act and the Indian Penal Code.