Court sends two suspected LeT operatives to police custody

Two suspected operatives of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), arrested for allegedly conspiring to carry out terror strikes in Delhi, were today remanded in police custody by a court here.

The court sent Rashid, 28, to police custody for seven days while another accused Shahid, also 28, was remanded in custody for four days after the Special Cell of Delhi Police said that they were required for further interrogation.

The special cell told Additional Sessions Judge Daya Prakash that Zamirul Islam, one of the suspects in the conspiracy, has surrendered before it and they need to quiz Rashid and Shahid about his involvement in the case.

It also said that Rashid and Shahid were also required to be confronted with Islam to unearth the entire conspiracy.

Advocate M S Khan, who appeared for both the accused, opposed the police's plea, saying his clients have already been interrogated by the probe agency earlier.

Both Rashid and Shahid were earlier remanded in judicial custody till today by the court.

The police had earlier claimed that the accused were in touch with Pakistan-based LeT commander Javed Baluchi through mobile phones and were conspiring to carry out terror attacks in the national capital.

Both Rashid and Shahid have been booked for the offences punishable under provisions of stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and under section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC.

Rashid, allegedly a top leader of LeT's Mewat module, was given the task by his Pakistan-based handlers of creating a network in the region and also to recruit people for carrying out blasts in the national capital region, the police had claimed.

Rashid, an imam at a mosque in Nuh district in Haryana, was also providing logistic supports to members of LeT, they had alleged.

According to police, Shahid was working as a maulvi in Noorani Masjid in Choti Mewli village in Nuh district.

The responsibility entrusted to Shahid by his handlers was arranging logistics and communication for terrorist attack, it had claimed.