Jihadis remanded in MP

Raisen, MP, Jun 16 (UNI) A local court today remanded 12 accused to five days' police custody for allegedly instigating Muslim youth here in the name of 'jihad' (holy war).

The accused, believers of the Mehdi sect philosophy, were arrested yesterday and were presented before Chief Judicial Magistrate B Sadho amidst tight security. Prime accused Mohammad Shakeel claims himself a ''prophet.'' As the Mehdis are supposedly against Islamic beliefs, local Muslims harbour profound anger against the accused.

A direct consequence of that annoyance was that a roughly 2,000-strong mob surrounded the accused while they were being taken away by police yesterday, forcing the latter to exercise mild force for dispersing the mob. The accused hailed from Delhi, Agra, Bhopal, Gwalior, Dewas and Maharashtra's Dhuliya.

UNI