Mecca Masjid blast accused sent to 10-day police custody

A city court on Monday remanded Devender Gupta, an accused in the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast case, to 10-day police custody till June 30.

A city court on Monday remanded Devender Gupta, an accused in the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast case, to 10-day police custody till June 30.

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The CBI, which brought Gupta and another accused Lokesh Sharma in Hyderabad last week from Ajmer Central Prison in Rajasthan, had filed a petition before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court seeking custodial interrogation of Gupta and to conduct a Test Identification Parade (TIP) of Sharma.

The CBI had sought 15-day custody of the accused saying the conspiracy to carry out the blasts was made under the jurisdiction of five states while preparation of the bombs were made under the jurisdiction of seven states.

However, the judge granted 10-day custody of Gupta to CBI, while the petition on TIP was posted for orders to June 23.

Earlier, opposing Gupta's police remand, the defense counsel said, "My clients have nothing to say now to the CBI. The CBI has already interrogated them at Rajasthan and beat them up to extract the information."

However, the CBI refuted the charges and contended that the Ajmer blast case was being investigated by the Rajasthan Police and not by it and so "the question of resorting the accused to third-degree treatment does not arise".