A special court on Monday remanded five Ghatkopar blast accused to judicial custody till March 26 as the police informed that it would file a chargesheet against them on that day after receiving sanction from Maharashtra government to prosecute them under Prevention of Terrorism Act.

The accused, suspected to be activists of the Students Islamic Movement of India activists, are facing charges of killing two persons and injuring 30 at Ghatkopar on December 2, 2002.

They are Mohammed Altaf, Imran Khan, Abdul Matin Abdul Basit, Shaikh Mohammed Muzzamil Jamil Ahmed and Jahir Ahmed Bashir Ahmed Shaikh.

Under POTA, a chargesheet is required to be filed within 90 days of the arrest of the accused, but the police has to obtain sanction from the government to prosecute the accused.

Prosecutor Rohini Salian told designated judge A P Bhangale that the police was expecting the sanction by March 26.

Altaf, who allegedly supplied explosives and funds to those who triggered the blast, was arrested in Dubai and flown to Mumbai on January 27 and is the second accused in the Ghatkopar blast to be deported from Dubai.

Earlier, Irfan Rehman Khan was picked up there and sent to Mumbai. Irfan has made a voluntary confession before a magistrate.

Altogether six persons were arrested in this case. Of these, Sayed Khwaja Yunus Khwaja Ayub disappeared from police custody on January seven when a jeep carrying him to Aurangabad for investigation met with an accident.

On a plea made by his father, the court had ordered a judicial inquiry into his alleged escape. The designated judge A P Bhangale, holding police for its lapse, ordered the state to pay monthly compensation of Rs 5,000 to the family of the accused until he was traced dead or alive.