HC rejects Ansari's petition

Mumbai, Sep 13 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today rejected the petition of Tanveer Ansari, arrested in connection with the July 11 serial train blasts, who had pleaded that his policy custody be terminated and he be remanded in judicial custody instead.

Ansari is at present in police custody which is scheduled to expire on September 15. Earlier, after his arrest on July 23, Ansari was remanded in police custody till August 4 for investigating his role in the Matunga blast, one in the series of seven blasts that had rocked Mumbai on July 11. Thereafter, he was again remanded in police custody on two other occasions by a lower court for probing his involvement in the Bandra and Khar blasts.

Ansari, in his petition before the court, contended that the lower court could not remand him in police custody separately for each of the seven blasts as the matter pertained to the same conspiracy. He should, therefore, be remanded in judicial custody, he argued.

However, the High Court division bench, comprising justices J N Patel and R S Dalvi, rejected his petition.

Chief public prosecutor Satish Borulkar, while contesting Ansari's claim, told the court that each of the seven blasts were being investigated individually and it is yet to be ascertained whether the perpetrators involved in these blasts were one and the same.

He also referred to the affidavit submitted by Anti-Terrorism Squad officer Rajaram Joshi according to which Ansari had attempted to mislead the investigations and was hostile. The affidavit stated that Ansari, a qualified doctor, had links with co-accused Ehtesham.

Ansari had visited Pakistan for training in subversive activities and the visit had been arranged by another co-accused Mohammed Faisal.

Ansari had learnt to make bombs and chemicals like sulphuric acid, hydrogen peroxide and acetone, which are used for making explosives, were recovered from his locker at the hospital where he worked. A map of Mumbai with markings and few books on terrorism were also found from the house of Ansari's brother, the affidavit stated. All these evidences were gathered during the separate remands, the ATS officer said in his affidavit.

Adv Borulkar contended that it was, therefore, necessary to send the accused in separate remands to probe the matter thoroughly.

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