Delhi Police get more time to probe case against top IM men

New Delhi, July 14 (IANS) A court here Monday granted 15 days' more time to Delhi Police to conduct investigation against alleged top Indian Mujahideen operatives, arrested for hatching a conspiracy to carry out terror strikes in Delhi.

District and Sessions Judge I.S. Mehta, allowing Delhi Police's plea seeking more time to conduct investigation in the case against IM suspects, Tehsin Akhtar alias Monu and Waqas, said: "The period of further investigation is further extended for the period of 15 days i.e. July 29."

However, the Delhi Police plea was opposed by defence counsel of both accused, advocate M.S. Khan, who argued that the prosecution has failed to file the chargesheet within 90 days, therefore, the accused are ipso facto entitled to bail.

In their plea, police said that co-accused Riyaz Bhatkal, Iqbal Bhatkal, Faiyaz Kagzi - a top Lashkar-e-Taiba operative - and others are still at large and efforts are being made to arrest them as early as possible.

"With the arrests of these absconders, the missing links in conspiracy are likely to be established which require that period of the investigation and judicial custody of these accused persons be extended," the police plea said.

Waqas, arrested in March, is a Pakistani national and is allegedly involved in several terror attacks, including the serial blasts in Mumbai in July 2011. Tehsin was arrested by Delhi Police after Waqas's arrest.

According to police, the duo, on the direction of IM chief Riyaz Bhatkal and Kagzi, were instructed to arrange the logistics and material for blasts in Delhi.

After carrying out serial blasts in Pune in August 2012, their next target was Delhi, police said. The Pune module members began reaching Delhi to carry out blasts but had to abort the plan after some of them were arrested, police maintained.