NIA quizzes terror accused over Hyderabad blasts

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has obtained the custody of Obaid-ur-Rehman, who was lodged in the Parappana Agrahara jail here in connection with a terror case, is interrogating him in connection with the February 21 Hyderabad twin blast case.

Sources in the agency said that the interrogation pertains to his alleged involvement
in the conspiracy that triggered the twin blasts in Hyderabad.

Conspiracy

Rehman is one of the accused in the charge sheet filed by NIA in connection with the case where the agency believes that there was a conspiracy for ‘terror strikes’ in Karnataka (Bangalore and Hubli), Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra to kill select targets, including politicians and journalists.

On Friday, a Delhi-court issued production warrants against two alleged Indian Mujahideen (IM) operatives lodged in the Tihar jail.

District judge I S Mehta, during a chamber hearing, directed jail authorities at Parappana Agrahara to produce before it on Saturday, Syed Maqbool and Imran Khan, to confront them with Obaid-ur-Rehman.

Custodial interrogation

The court allowed the plea of NIA seeking further custodial interrogation of Maqbool and Khan to confront them with Rehman.

According to sources, NIA told the judge that the operatives had given conflicting statements to them during separate interrogations and needed to be quizzed together.

The court had remanded Maqbool and Khan in NIA’s custody for five days, during which they were taken to Hyderabad in connection with the probe into the blasts.

The two have been in judicial custody at Tihar jail, after police arrested them for the August 2012 Pune blasts.

Maqbool and Khan had, in July 2012, allegedly carried out reconnaissance of Dilsukhnagar in Hyderabad, where the February 21 blasts killed 16 people and injured over 100, the NIA claimed.

Their interrogation will give information on the exact plan by their associates, the agency said.