Blast accused Hamza's custody extended

A court on Saturday extended the police custody of Feroze Hamza, an August 1 Pune blast accused by four days, on police plea that he has to be confronted with another suspected IM module Sayed Maqbool, arrested in the case.

The magisterial court extended Hamza’s police custody after the special cell of Delhi Police said the disclosures made by Maqbool, arrested on October 23, have necessitated their confrontation.

Two other accused in the case, Asad Khan and Imran Khan, however, were sent to a 14-day judicial custody.

Another accused, Irfan Mustafa Langda, is already in police custody till October 30. Police claimed Maqbool in collusion with Asad, Imran, Feroz and Mustafa had planned to commit fidayeen attacks on Buddhist shrines at Bodh Gaya in Bihar.

They had got the approval of IM chief Riyaz Bhatkal, a fugitive believed to be holed up in Pakistan, for carrying out the attack as a “retaliation to the alleged atrocities on Muslims in Myanmar.”

Sayed Maqbool, who, police claimed, is a district president of All India Majlis Itehad-ul Muslimeen which has an MP in Lok Sabha, was apprehended in Hyderabad.

Maqbool, a fruit seller who allegedly taught suspected IM terrorists how to make IEDs, is the fifth person to be arrested in the case.