Top Lashkar-e-Taiba bomb expert Abdul Karim Tunda on Saturday claimed in a court in New Delhi that he was not arrested in India but was "picked up" from Nepal by Delhi Police and sought a direction to police to furnish details of cases pending against him.
Tunda was one of the 20 terrorists India had asked Pakistan to hand over after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. 72-year-old Tunda, who was arrested allegedly from Indo- Nepal border on August 16 last year by the special cell of Delhi Police, said that "in fact, he was picked up from Nepal and brought to India" by the cops.
In his plea filed through advocate M S Khan, Tunda also said that the police should be directed to furnish the details of the cases pending against him. He said it has been alleged that he was involved in more than 20 terror attack cases between 1994 and 1998 in Delhi and other states but till date, he has been arrested by Delhi Police in only four cases.
Tunda said that it was not known if there are more pending cases as alleged against him and that "accused has a right to know and to seek trial or avail legal remedies available to him." "It is, therefore, most respectfully and in the interest of justice prayed that direction may kindly be issued to the SHO special cell to furnish the details of the remaining cases pending against the applicant/accused and to arrest him, if required," the plea said.
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Amit Bansal issued notice to the police seeking its response on Tunda's plea and fixed the matter for January 10. Meanwhile, Additional Sessions Judge Daya Prakash on Saturday January 18 for hearing arguments on framing of charges in 1997 Sadar Bazar blasts case in which a charge sheet was recently filed against Tunda by the special cell.
Tunda, who is in judicial custody in connection with various terror attack cases, was chargesheeted for offences under sections 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapon), 307 (attempt to murder) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC.
The police had claimed that he was part of the conspiracy which led to two bomb blasts, one in Sadar Bazar and other in Qutab Road here, on October 1, 1997 in which several people were injured. Earlier, two persons--Mohd Shakil alias Hamza and Mohd Amir-- were arrested in the case but Shakil was discharged by the court on April 17, 1999 while Amir was acquitted in the case on April 26, 2001.
The police, in its charge sheet, had claimed that during the investigation, Shakil and Amir had disclosed that the bomb blasts were carried out at the behest of Tunda.
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