Magistrate orders Abu Jundal to be produced in Delhi court

A local court in Mumbai ordered that 26/11 handler Abu Jundal, in custody of Maharashtra police, be produced before Tees Hazari court in Delhi on Thursday in a case of conspiring to carry out terror attacks in India.

The order was passed by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate P S Rathod on a plea made by National Investigation Agency that they needed the custody of Syed Zabiuddin Ansari alias Jundal for interrogation in the case.

The NIA had filed an FIR on June 8 against Jundal and his accomplice Fayyaz Kagzi for being part of a terror organisation and conspiring to organise explosives for certain Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Indian Mujahideen operatives to carry out terror attacks in Mumbai and Delhi.

Special Public prosecutor Rohini Salian filed two applications, one by the Anti-Terrorism Squad and the other by the NIA seeking production of Jundal in the Delhi court.

The ATS pleaded that they had received three production warrants from Delhi court against Jundal. However, the Mumbai court rejected its plea saying these warrants are for Jundal's production in Delhi on October 12 and hence there was sufficient time left.

But the court considered the application filed by NIA, which contended that it would seek Jundal's custody after he was produced before the Tees Hazari court. Accordingly, the Mumbai court directed that Jundal be produced in Delhi court on Thursday.

The prosecutor pleaded that Jundal may be taken to Delhi immediately as the authorities feared about his security in Arthur Road Central jail.

Meanwhile, a Nasik court, where Jundal was produced this morning, remanded him in judicial custody till October 17 in a case involving conspiracy to attack the Maharashtra police academy. He was then brought to Mumbai and produced in a local court in the 26/11 terror attack case.

Jundal is booked by the Maharashtra police in the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case, the 26/11 Mumbai mayhem and attack on Nashik Police Academy while he is yet to be arrested in the Pune German bakery blast case.

In the 26/11 case, Jundal is alleged to have been present in the control room in Pakistan from where directions were given to terrorists to carry out dare devil attacks in Mumbai.

He is also alleged to have taught Hindi to terrorists including Ajmal Kasab who has been sentenced to death by the trial court for his role in the Mumbai terror attacks.

In Delhi, Jundal is wanted in the Jama Masjid blast case. He has been booked for using a fake passport and fake currency. He is also charged with criminal conspiracy and other offences under provisions of the Explosive Substances Act, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Passport Act and Arms Act.

Image: Abu Jundal