Tunda withdraws bail plea, case sent to sessions court

Lashkar-e-Taiba bomb expert Abdul Karim Tunda, accused in the 1997 Delhi Sadar Bazar blasts case, Friday withdraw his bail plea after a magistrate transferred the case to a sessions court.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Amit Bansal transferred the case to the sessions court, which will hear the matter Saturday.

The case was transferred as the offences alleged against Tunda are triable by a sessions judge.

Tunda's counsel M.S. Khan withdrew his bail application as the case was referred to another judge. The court allowed his plea so that he can file a fresh bail application before the sessions judge.

Tunda's bail plea was opposed by Delhi Police which said he was a terrorist involved in more than 20 bomb blasts.

Tunda in his bail plea said two other co-accused in the case have been discharged or acquitted.

Police chargesheeted Tunda under Sections 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapon), 307 (attempt to murder) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.

He was part of a conspiracy which led to two blasts at Sadar Bazar and Qutab Road Oct 1, 1997, in which many people were injured, police said.

The two other accused in the case earlier said the blasts were carried out at Tunda's behest.

One of the co-accused Mohammad Shakeel alias Hamza was acquitted in April 1999 while the second, Mohammad Amir, was discharged in the case in April 2001 for lack of evidence against them.

Tunda said the other two co-accused were already released by court and the question of conspiracy with them does not arise. He said their disclosure statements were not admissible as evidence against him.