Kazmi remanded in 20 days’ police custody

Syed Mohammed Ahmad Kazmi, arrested for his alleged role in the February 13 Israeli car bombing case, was on Wednesday remanded in police custody for 20 days by a city court.

Syed Mohammed Ahmad Kazmi, arrested for his alleged role in the February 13 Israeli car bombing case, was on Wednesday remanded in police custody for 20 days by a city court.

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Police told the court that they had preliminary evidence about the fact that the conspiracy was hatched outside India and the possibility of foreign hands could not be ruled out.

“He (Kazmi) is one of the conspirators of this wider conspiracy. This is a case of international terrorism. It is not necessary that only Indians are involved in this case. There is a possibility that some foreign nationals might be involved in the case,” public prosecutor Rajiv Mohan, representing the Delhi Police special cell, told Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vinod Yadav. Kazmi will remain in police custody till March 27.

“We have already recorded the statement of the eyewitnesses. The conspiracy was hatched outside India. We do not want to disclose all the information as the main accused, who is yet to be arrested, could go out of reach of the probe agency,” the prosecutor said.

Police said an IED was used in the explosion and “everything was done in a planned manner”.

Opposing the police’s plea, Kazmi’s counsel Vijay Aggarwal accused the cops of forging documents related to the timing of his arrest and sought a probe against the concerned officials.

Aggarwal said the police had not produced a proper case diary and that Kazmi's arrest was illegal as the men who arrested him were in plain clothes.

Refusing to accept the police- file as the case diary, the counsel said, “Where is the case diary? No case diary has been produced and without it, the judge cannot extend the remand. Just because they (police) come and speak high-sounding words like international terrorism, it does not mean that remand of an accused should be granted to the police.”

He said Kazmi was made a scapegoat by police as the agency is under immense pressure to crack the case. Kazmi, a journalist, has covered the Iraq war and also used to visit the Iran embassy.

“They (police) are saying I am an international terrorist but I must say I am a national hero. I am a journalist and had covered Iraq war for DD news channel. I have been made a scapegoat because the police was under a huge pressure from all fractions to solve this case,” Aggarwal said, after getting the court’s nod to have a brief interaction with Kazmi.