9 SIMI actvists sent to 14 days police remand

Ahmedabad, Aug 17 (UNI) Nine SIMI activists accused of Ahmedabad serial bomb blasts which claimed 59 lives, have been granted 14-day police remand by the Ahmedabad Metropolitan Court here today.

Metropolitan Court Judge J K Pandya, after hearing the arguments of both sides, granted 14-day police remand to all nine accused, barring prime accused and mastermind Mufti Abdul Bashar Ishali, who was arrested from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh and brought here on a 3-day transit remand yesterday,.

Public Prosecuter Shyney conteded that the Gujarat police should be given 14-day remand of all accused for collecting more information to unearth the conspiracy of terror of July 26 bomb blasts.

Mr Shyney also pleaded before the court that the Ahmedabad Crime Branch, main investigating agency of the blast conspiracy, needed to make through interrogations of all the accused to ferret out more evidence, links and people connected to the case.

Meanwhile, lawyer Hasim Qureshi, who appears for the arrested SIMI activists, argued that the Court should not grant remand as the police had no sufficient evidence to arrest the accused.

Mr Qureshi also argued that the Gujarat police had already held press Conference here yesterday with an intention to influence the designated Court by creating media pressure.

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