Ayodhya fidayeen attack case posted for May 17

Faizabad, UP, May 3 (UNI) A district court today posted hearing in the July 5, 2005 Ayodhya fidayeen attack case for May 17 and extended the judicial custody of all the five accused for 14 days.

The terrorists were produced before Faizabad District Judge R P Shukla from Allahabad's Naini Jail under tight security.

Since, the quintet were not represented by any counsel in the court, the chargesheet could not be filed.

Meanwhile, the Judge directed Naini Jail superintendent to allow any meeting between the terrorists' kin only in his presence.

The court had already appointed 'Nyay Mitra' Rajendra Kumar Tiwari to represent the accused, since the Faizabad Bar Association (FBA) had decided not to represent them.

Following the attack on the Ram Janmabhoomi, the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) had lodged a case under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 147, 148, 307, 302, 353, 153, 153 A, 295, 120 B and 4.

Shakil and Nasim Ahmad were arrested on July 27, while Asif Iqbal and Mohd Aziz were arrested on July 14 in the valley by the Jammu and Kashmir Police.

The quartet were accused of providing SIM card and sophisticated weapons to the five terrorists, who stormed the high-security Ram Janmabhoomi complex in Ayodhya on July 5. The fidayeen were, however, liquidated by security personnel deployed at the site.

Irban -- a Unani medical practitioner -- was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police on July 22 in Saharanpur district.

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