Delhi High Court extends JC of 2 suspected terrorists

The judicial custody of two suspected terrorists, Wasim Akram Malik and Amir Abbas Dev, arrested by the NIA for their alleged roles in the terror attack at the Delhi High Court reception last September, was extended today till April 18 by a court here.

District Judge H S Sharma extended their custody in an in-chamber hearing and listed the matter for April 18 for scrutiny of documents, filed on March 13 by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) along with the charge sheet in the case, court sources said.

The NIA had filed charge sheet against six persons including three arrested accused - Wasim Akram Malik, Amir Abbas Dev and a minor, besides three others - Amir Kamal, Junaid Akram Malik and Shakir Hussain Seikh alias Chota Hafiz, who have been alleged be the members of banned terror outfit Hizb-ul Mujahideen and are evading arrest.

The agency had said the September 7, 2011 terror attack at the high court reception was plotted with an aim to get commuted the death sentence of the December 2001 Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru.

The NIA, in its 1,062-page charge sheet, had said two Pakistani nationals Abu Bilal and Abu Saifullah had planted the bomb at the entrance of gate number five of the Delhi High Court, killing 17 persons and injuring over 90 others.

According to the charge sheet, the entire terror attack was plotted between June and September last year at Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir by Wasim Akram Malik and other co-accused to "threaten the judiciary" and to get the death sentence of Afzal Guru repealed.

It said process of proclamation against three absconding accused has been initiated and a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh each has been announced for giving information about them.