Blast accused claims NIA approaching him in jail

The elite National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday was accused in a Delhi court by a jailed undertrial of the 2008 serial terror blast of "approaching" him in jail without the court's permission.

The elite National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday was accused in a Delhi court by a jailed undertrial of the 2008 serial terror blast of "approaching" him in jail without the court's permission.

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On a complaint by undertrial Shahzad, an alleged Indian Mujahideen (IM) member, additional sessions judge Santosh Snehi Mann sought Tihar jail authorities' report on his allegation.

The Tihar jail superintendent was asked to file his report on Shahzad's application by September 28.

"An application is moved on behalf of accused Shahzad that officials of NIA are approaching him in the (Tihar) jail without permission of this court. A report be called from the jail superintendent on this application for the date fixed," the court said.

NIA is also probing the September 7 terror attack in the Delhi high court premises that killed 15 people and injured over 70.

The court, which had on September 14 ordered expeditious trial in the 2008 serial blasts case, today examined 19 witnesses, including six doctors of different hospitals and other victims who had sustained injuries or had lost their family members in the explosions.

The blasts, occurring in quick succession in crowded localities in four places in the national capital on September 13, 2008, left 26 people dead and 135 injured.