Dilsukhnagar twin blasts: Production warrant issued against IM operative

Hyderabad: A local court has issued Production Transit (PT) warrant directing the Tihar jail authorities to produce Aizaz Saeed Shaik, an alleged Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative, in connection with his alleged role in February 2013 Dilsukhnagar twin blasts case.

27-year-old Shaik, a resident of Pune, is considered a technical expert and an alleged key member of Indian Mujahideen and a hawala operator.

National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing the Dilsukhnagar twin blasts case, had filed a petition in the court of First Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge, seeking directions to produce Shaik before the court, who has been named as an accused in the case, for the purpose of further investigation.

The court recently allowed NIA's petition and issued PT warrant to Tihar Jail authorities for production of Shaik in connection with the twin blasts on or before February 15.

Eighteen persons were killed and 131 injured in the twin explosions that were triggered by powerful IEDs planted near Konark and Venkatadiri theatres in Dilsukhnagar, a crowded shopping area in the city, on February 21, 2013.

Shaik was arrested by the Delhi Police's special cell near Saharanpur railway station in Uttar Pradesh in September last year and is now under judicial custody and lodged in Tihar Jail.

"He (Shaik) was involved in several terror cases including the Jama Masjid attack," police had earlier claimed.

NIA had on March 14 last year filed its first charge sheet in the Dilsukhnagar twin blasts case against IM co-founder Yasin Bhatkal and Asadullah Akhtar alias Haddi who were earlier arrested on the Indo-Nepal border.

A second charge sheet was filed by NIA on September 16 last year against and two other IM operatives--Zia-ur-Rahman alias Waqas, a Pakistani national, and Tahaseen Akhtar alias Monu.