JM Road blasts: Bail denied to 8 suspects

A sessions court on Monday rejected a petition filed by the August 2012 J M Road blast accused Asad Khan challenging the authority of the magisterial court to extend the police custody of eight suspects, including Khan, arrested in the case.

The criminal revision petition was filed by Supreme Court lawyer Mehmood Pracha and Pune lawyers Shahid Akhtar and M M Sayyed on January 18. The matter came up for hearing before the court of Additional Sessions Judge V V Bambarde.

Public prosecutor Ujjwala Pawar argued that the petition had no merit as the government notification giving the authority to JMFC court had never been challenged so far. The judge confirmed the order passed by the JMFC and observed that the court had power to grant a 30-day police custody.

Khan has prayed that the January 1 magisterial court order, which extended his police custody and that of seven others till January 8, be set aside. He pleaded that the police custody be declared illegal.

Their lawyers raised the issue of the jurisdiction of the magisterial court hearing remand pleas of the ATS, invoking Sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention Act), and of the ATS' authority to investigate the blasts case, but their pleas were rejected.

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