Indian Mujahideen suspects in 14-day police custody

Mumbai, Oct 7 (IANS) All the 20 arrested Indian Mujahideen suspects, arrested by the Mumbai police over the past fortnight and charged under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) were Tuesday sent to 14-day police custody.

Designated MCOCA Court Judge V.G. Avchat allowed the police to question the suspects following an application by public prosecutor Kalpana Chavan.

A police official said the suspects have been charged under various sections of the MCOCA, Indian Penal Code, the Arms Act, the Explosives Act, the Explosives Substances Act, Information Technology Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Chavan said the arrested were involved in planning, conspiring and executing a series of bomb blasts in various Indian cities in the past few months with losses of many innocent lives.

She said they were also involved in sending out terror emails by hacking unsecured wi-fi connections at different places in and around Mumbai prior to carrying out the blasts.

The suspects who were caught from different parts of India and placed under arrest include:

* Mohammed Mansoor Asghar Peerbhoy, alias Munna, 31, who was working as a principal software engineer in an MNC drawing a salary of Rs.1.9 million per annum.

* The other arrested are: Salman Kadar Shiakh alias Mobin, 24, working as a senior technical advisor in an IT firm.

* Asif Bashiruddin Shaikh, 22, a mechanical engineer.

* Mohammed Akbar Ismail Choudhary, 28 , a computer hardware expert, who doubles as a driver.

* Dastagir Feroze Mujawar, 25, alias Afrosh, a commerce graduate.

* Mohammed Atik Mohammed Iqbal, 25, a computer science graduate.

* Anique Shafique Syed, 27 who runs a computer and mobile retail shop.

* Majid Akthar Shaikh, 26, who runs a mobile phone repairs and servicing shop.

* Yasir Anis Syed, 20, alias Huzefa, runs a computer and mobile reparing shop.

* Syed Mohammed Naushad, 25, alias Sayedna, a civil works contractor based in Mangalore.

* Javed Mohammed Ali, 19, an Islamic studies scholar.

* Farooq Sharifuddin Tarkash, 25, alias Abdullah, a computer science graduate.

* Mohammed Ali Ahmed, 44, a civilian works contractor from Mangalore.

* Ahmed Bawa Abubakar, 33, alias Abu, a farmer by profession.

* Faisal-e-Rehma Muskhan Durrani, 23, a robber on police records.

Apart from these 15, earlier, Sep 24, the city police had nabbed five suspects from in and around Mumbai in connection with the blasts, who were remanded to police custody.

They have also been slapped with charges under the MCOCA. They are: Mohammed Mutalib Usmani, Mohammed Sadik Israr Ahmed Shaikh, Mohammed Arif Badruddin Shaikh, Mohammed Zakir Abdul Haq Shaikh and Ansar Ahmed Badshah Shaikh.