Accused in Hyderabad blasts sent to custody

Hyderabad, May 24 (IANS) A special court hers Saturday sent two accused in the last year's twin blasts to judicial custody till June 23.

The special court dealing with National Investigation Agency (NIA) cases also allowed the agency to take custody of the two alleged Indian Mujahideen operatives for 15 days.

The NIA brought Tahsin Akhtar alias Monu and Zia-ur Rahman alias Waqas on a transit warrant from Delhi and produced them before the judge at Nampally Criminal Court complex amid tight security.

The investigating agency will grill the two accused to know more about their role in the February 2013 blasts at Dilsukhnagar here.

The twin blasts at a busy marketplace on Feb 21 had killed 17 people and injured over 100 others.

A Delhi court had Friday allowed the plea of the NIA seeking three days transit remand of Akhtar and Waqas, who were arrested along with some other alleged IM operatives by the Delhi Police in March this year.

The duo was allegedly in touch with IM Indian chief Yasin Bhatkal and his aide Asadullah Akhtar, the main accused in the twin blasts.

The NIA in March filed a charge sheet in the twin blasts case. Yasin Bhatkal and Asadullah Akhtar, who were arrested last year on Indo-Nepal border, were charged with murder. The duo had plotting to "wage a war against the nation", said the NIA.