Delhi HC blast accused sent to Tihar till Oct 7

New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir native Abid Hussain, arrested for his alleged role in the September 7 bomb blast in the Delhi High Court premises, was on Wednesday sent to Tihar Jail with a city court remanding him in judicial custody till October 7.

Special NIA Judge HS Sharma remanded Hussain in judicial custody as National Investigation Agency (NIA) sleuths, while producing him before the court after expiry of his police custody tenure, told the judge that he was no longer required for custodial interrogation.

In an in-camera proceeding, the NIA also made a plea to the court for recording of Hussain's statement separately before a magistrate under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The court kept the plea pending for a decision on it later, court sources said.

During the proceedings, Hussain told the court that he does not need the services of any lawyer in the case, the sources said.

On doubts over his date of birth, Hussain told the court that he was not a juvenile as he was born in 1994 and that his official records did not carry his actual date of birth.

The court sources added Hussain also told the judge that he is not sure of the date and month of his birth. The judge, however, sent him to judicial custody for two days.

Hussain also told the court that he had not been in touch with his family members since long.

Hussain, who is said to be a student of Islamia Faridia Higher Secondary School at Kishtwar, was arrested on September 13 for allegedly sending a terror mail to media houses claiming responsibility for the September 7 blast at the high court that killed 15 people and left over 70 others injured.

Besides Hussain, the other accused arrested in the case is Amir Abbas Dev. The duo had allegedly sent the terror mail to the media houses claiming responsibility for the blast on behalf of banned terror outfit Harkat ul-Jihad al-Islami (HuJI).

Dev's police custody too expires on October 7, when the two will again be brought to court.

Hussain and Dev have been booked under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Explosive Substances Act, dealing with conspiracy, murder, attempt to kill, causing hurt and using explosives.