IM terrorist claims getting threat in Tihar jail

A suspected Indian Mujahideen terrorist on Friday alleged before a Delhi court that he was being threatened inside the Tihar jail in New Delhi.

A suspected Indian Mujahideen terrorist on Friday alleged before a Delhi court that he was being threatened inside the Tihar jail in New Delhi.

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Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kaveri Baweja, taking note of the application of Salman alias Chotu into consideration, sought a response from Tihar jail authorities on April 12 on the alleged threat.

Salman, who claims himself to be a minor, was arrested on March six by Anti-Terrorism Squad of Uttar Pradesh Police from Siddarth Nagar for his alleged role in the serial blasts in the national capital on September 13, 2008.

The accused, who was produced before the court at the expiry of his judicial custody, filed a hand-written application alleging extortion threat inside the prison from a gang which attacks fellow inmates with blades.

He sought the court's help to ensure his safety.

The court had earlier issued notices to two school principals for an appearance on April 12 on Salman's plea to be treated as juvenile.

Their statements are likely to help the court decide upon the application of Salman and determine his age.

Salman, in his application, had claimed he was a juvenile at the time of the serial blasts in the national capital that had claimed 26 lives and injured 135 people in September, 2008.

He had produced a class X marksheet issued by the Uttar Pradesh Secondary Education Board stating his date of birth as October 3, 1992.

The police, however, had claimed there were contradictory reports on his date of birth as the passport obtained by him on forged documents from Nepal showed it to be May 27, 1985.

The AIIMS, which was directed to constitute a medical board, had opined that his age was between 25 and 26.

The court, meanwhile, sent Salman to judicial custody till April 12.