Delhi police 'frustrating' probe against arrested Indian Mujahideen operatives: NIA
New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday argued in a court here that Delhi Police was trying to "frustrate" their ongoing probe against Indian Mujahideen (IM) operatives by seeking further custody of top IM men Tehsin Akhtar and Zia-ur Rehman alias Waqas.
The tug of war between the two probe agencies was seen in the court after the Special Cell of Delhi Police sought 25 days police custody of Tehsin and Waqas in connection with a case regarding the conspiracy of IM and Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) to carry out terror strikes in the national capital.
The NIA told the court that the Special Cell was again seeking remand of these two accused to "frustrate the investigation so far done by the NIA with respect to accused in different FIRs."
The NIA also said their probe into these cases were "held up" due to want of interrogation of these accused.
The Special Cell, however, countered the NIA's submissions saying their probe into the case regarding the conspiracy of IM and LeT to carry out terror strikes in Delhi was going on.
It also argued the interrogation of these two accused was necessary to "verify the nexus between LeT and IM".
The court, after hearing the arguments, remanded both the accused to custody of the Special Cell for 20 days while brushing aside the contentions of the NIA seeking its permission to formally arrest and interrogate these two accused in connection with the February last year Dilsukhnagar blasts in Hyderabad.
"It was the Special Cell Delhi Police who arrested the accused first and they have completed the investigation with respect to case FIR no 54/11 (regarding illegal arms factory here). However, they are yet to complete investigation in respect of case FIR no 16/12 (the present case) dated July 7, 2012.....," Additional Sessions Judge Daya Prakash said.
"If at this stage, accused (Tehsin and Waqas) are handed over to the NIA, the whole investigation so far conducted by the Special Cell in FIR no. 16/12 will be frustrated," the judge said and noted that permission of the Ministry of Home Affairs to conduct the probe into the case was also placed on record before it.
On April 2, the court had brushed aside the claims of the NIA to quiz these two accused first and had granted custody of Tehsin and Waqas to Special Cell for 13 days.
