Mumbai, Oct 14: Three prime accused in the Gateway of India bomb blast of August 25 were today remanded to police custody till October 28 by a special court after prosecution claimed that the allegations of police torture and assault on the person of the accused were false and motivated. Sayed Mohammed Hanif, his wife Fahimida and associate Arshat Shafi Ahmed Ansari were produced before designated Judge A P Bhangale amidst tight security.
They were arrested under Pota yesterday in the Gateway of India blast case but were not given custody as they alleged police torture and assault. On the orders of the court, the accused were medically examined by a panel of doctors in a government hospital and reports were placed before the judge.
According to Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, the reports revealed that there were no external or internal injury on the person of Arshat or Hanif who had alleged police assault.
The duo had alleged that police had allegedly beat them severely in the jail on September 28 when they were taken into custody in July 28 Ghatkopar bomb blast. However prosecutor Nikam pointed out that the accused had not informed this to their lawyer who had gone to meet them in jail on October 08.
The prosecutor said these allegations were afterthought, false and made with an ulterior motive to avoid custody.
In the Gateway of India bomb blast of August 25, these three accused were the first to be arrested. In the Zaveri Bazaar bomb blast which occurred on the same day, no arrests have been made so far although police suspect that it was the handiwork of Hanif, Fahimida and Arshat.
The trio have also been remanded to judicial custody till October 28 in the Ghatkopar blast of July 28.
Bureau Report