Two blast accused brought to Hyderabad

HYDERABAD - Two activists of a Hindu terror group accused in the October 2007 blast in the Ajmer Sharif dargah were Thursday brought here by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for questioning in the Mecca Masjid bombing in May the same year.

Devender Gupta and Lokesh Sharma, both members of Hindu terror group Abhinav Bharat, were produced before a court, which sent them to judicial custody for two weeks.

CBI sources said the two were later shifted to Chanchalguda Central Jail amid tight security.

This is the first time that the accused have been brought to Hyderabad after their involvement in the Mecca Masjid blast came to light in April.

Nine people were killed in the blast during Friday prayers at the mosque May 18, 2007. Five more people were killed in the subsequent police firing on protesters outside the mosque.

The CBI, which brought the two accused on transit remand, will move a petition to seek their custody for interrogation. The investigating agency will try to find out if they received any local help in carrying out the blast at the 17th century mosque here.

On a petition by the CBI, 14th additional chief metropolitan magistrate court had last week issued a warrant to present them in the court.

The CBI had informed the court that two other accused, Sandeep and Ramchandra, were absconding and efforts to nab them were on.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner A.K. Khan told reporters that the city police would provide all assistance to the CBI.

Gupta and Sharma were arrested by Rajasthan Police in April this year in connection with October 2007 blast at Khwaja Moinuddin Chisthi dargah in Ajmer, which had claimed one life and injured 30 others.

The CBI believes that both the blasts were the handiwork of the same group.