Delhi blasts: Accused still not produced,hearing delayed

Mann told Sonara that as production warrants had been issued,it was his obligation to produce them before it. “I want certain confusions to be removed. Directions were given to produce them (accused) under the CrPC. It is your obligation to produce them (before the court),” the judge said.

Of the 13 accused charged under various provisions of the IPC and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act,Shehzad and Mohammad Hakim are lodged in Delhi. The eleven,lodged in Sabarmati for their alleged involvement in Ahmedabad blasts,are — Mohd Saif,Shakeel,Zeeshan,Zia-Ur-Rehman,Saquib Nisar,Sadique,Kayamuddin Kapadia,M A Peerbhoy,Mubin Kadar Sheikh,Asif and Ismail. The court had discharged one of the accused,Salman,as no evidence against him was found.

The court had earlier taken a strict note of a communication by the Ahmedabad (city) police commissioner to the Delhi Police seeking their armed escorts for transporting the accused from Sabarmati jail to Delhi. Investigation Officer Bhisham Singh had submitted before the court:”If the escort is sent by the Delhi Police,it will amount to taking the accused in the police custody,whereas the nature of their custody is judicial. It is requested that the Sabarmati jail superintendent is requested to secure their production (in Delhi).”