Mumbai, Nov 30: A Pota court has allowed police to further investigate the Ghatkopar bomb blast case and extended till January 31 the deadline for filing chargesheet even as six accused in the August 25 twin blast cases would be produced tomorrow for remand. Public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam urged on November 28 that the police be given two months more time to investigate the July 28 Ghatkopar bomb blast in view of important conspiracy links that have cropped up during the probe.

He said Ghatkopar blast and twin explosions at Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar were part of the same conspiracy and police was contemplating to file a single chargesheet in these cases. The RDX was seized from two accused and this was for the first time after 1993 bomb blasts that this explosive had been recovered, he added. Six accused -- Sayed Mohammed Hanif, his wife Fahimida and associates Arshat Ansari, Jahid Patni, Hassan Batterywala and Rizwan Ladduwala -- would be produced before the court tomorrow for remand in these cases.

Nikam said the accused had alleged links with foreign nationals who are suspected to have financed the blasts adding their custody was needed to unearth the role of Lashkar-e-Toiba in the conspiracy.

Two persons were killed and 31 injured when an explosion occurred in a bus in suburban Ghatkopar on July 28. Two more blasts occurred on august 25 at Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar killing 53 people and injuring over 100. Patni has allegedly confessed and his confession has been sent to the court in a sealed cover, police said, adding Ladduwala and Batterywalla had also confessed.

Bureau Report