Three accused in Burdwan blast case sent in NIA custody

Three persons arrested in Assam for alleged connection with the Burdwan blast case were today remanded in eight days' NIA custody by a city court which sent eight other accused to judicial custody till January 16.

Officiating chief judge at Bankshall Court G C Talukdar remanded Saiful Islam, Rafikul Islam and Sahanur Alam, who were brought on a production warrant by this court from Gauhati Central Jail, till January nine.

NIA counsel Shyamal Ghosh prayed for their custody for 10 days submitting that they were directly involved in the Burdwan case, wherein an accidental blast on October two revealed an international terror link, and that they trained jihadi elements.

Ghosh also alleged that they were found to have connection with Bangladeshi terror outfit JMB.

The court remanded Hasem Mollah, Razia Bibi, Abdul Hakim, Khaled Mohammad, Alima Bibi, Zia-ul-Haq, Amjad and Sajid to judicial custody till January 16 on a plea by NIA.

Sajid's remand was extended in absentia as he is at present in custody of Bidhannagar Police in connection with a case registered by it.

NIA prayed before the court for a direction to jail authorities to produce him on the next date of hearing on January 16.

NIA also obtained a permission from the court to interrogate a person named Jahid Hossain in jail. He was arrested by the STF of Kolkata Police with explosives and fake currency of face value of Rs 1.5 lakh.

It told the court that it wanted to know whether Hossain had any connection with the jihadi elements involved in the Burdwan blast.