Jundal not needed for further questioning: NIA to court

The custodial interrogation of Abu Jundal, a 26/11 key handler and a Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorist, has been completed, the National Investigation Agency told a Delhi court on Saturday.

The NIA stated this before Special Central Bureau of Investigation Judge Talwant Singh when Jundal was produced before the court after expiry of NIA's remand which was granted on October 8.

The court sent Jundal to judicial custody until November 3 accepting the NIA's submission that he was not required for further custodial interrogation.

The NIA had earlier sought Jundal's custody in connection with a first information report registered earlier this year following  unearthing of a LeT conspiracy for terror strikes across the country. The designated NIA court had also issued production warrants against Jundal.

Jundal had earlier claimed before the court that he was 'tortured' physically and mentally during the probe by various agencies since his arrest in June this year.

He had said that he had already disclosed the facts which were within his knowledge to the other probe agencies. Jundal had earlier been handed over to the Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad after the Delhi police had said that he was no longer required to be interrogated by it in the Jama Masjid attack case.

The 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 the Mumbai ATS which had produced him before a magisterial court here on October 4.

The Delhi police had earlier filed a chargesheet 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 chargesheet filed by the special cell of Delhi police 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 chargesheet said after being apprehended from the Indira Gandhi International airport on June 21 this year, Jundal, during questioning, admitted to his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.

The Delhi police had said this in a supplementary chargesheet in the Jama Masjid blast case in which 11 alleged members of terror outfit Indian Mujahideen were chargesheeted earlier.