Ahmedabad, Nov 10: A special Pota court today rejected the bail plea of Nasir Khan Pathan, one of the accused in last year's `tiffin bomb' blasts in the city. Pota court Judge Sonia Gokani rejected Pathan's bail plea on the grounds that a "prima facie case was evident against him and that bail could not be granted as proceedings of the crucial case have already been opened for trial."

Sheikh, arrested by city crime branch on April 27, is alleged to have played a `crucial' role in planting tiffin bombs in three municipal transport buses on May 29 last year. On November 7, the court had rejected bail plea of Nisaar Ahmed Sheikh, another accused in these blasts.

Crime branch, which began a crackdown on subversive activities in the city after former Gujarat home and revenue minister Haren Pandya's murder, had arrested Pathan from his residence in the walled city on may eight this year.

Twelve people were injured when the bombs placed in four municipal buses exploded in various parts of the city. The crime branch has arrested 21 people, including four `ISI' agents and one Hanif Theliwala, for their alleged involvement in the blasts. Theliwala, in whose bag-making unit in sensitive Dariapur area the bombs were allegedly designed, and Mulla Kaleem, who allegedly designed these bombs, are among the 21 accused.

The tiffin blasts, which occurred in majority-community dominated areas, were allegedly aimed at striking terror in minds of a section of a community, apparently to avenge the post-Godhra communal carnage, crime branch sources said.

Bureau Report