Tunda sent to four days' police custody

Abdul Karim Tunda, an alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist, Tuesday claimed innocence in a Delhi court which sent him to four days' police custody. Ahead of the hearing, a man slapped the accused while he was being taken to the courtroom.

Metropolitan Magistrate Jay Thareja, before whom Tunda was presented, decided in the middle of the proceedings to hold in-camera hearing after an advocate created ruckus in the court.

The court sent the accused to four days' police custody for further interrogation.

The alleged LeT terrorist, suspected to be involved in over 40 bombings in the country, will now be presented in court Aug 24. His earlier police custody ended Tuesday.

Tunda, the one-handed bomb maker arrested by Delhi Police near the India-Nepal border last week, told the judge that he was "innocent" and did not motivate anyone to carry out blasts, said sources.

They said that during the in-chamber hearing, Tunda told the court: "I am innocent, I used to teach Quran and in Jehad killing old people, women and children is not permissible."

The court directed police to ensure safety of Tunda, who was slapped inside the Patiala House district courts complex by a man claiming to be a member of an organisation called Hindu Sena.

Shiv Kumar Raghav, 40, slapped the terror suspect around 3.50 p.m. Raghav, along with his aide Vishnu Gupta, was detained by police.

"Tunda is a traitor, he should be hanged," Raghav was shouting after he slapped Tunda, police said.

The court also allowed the Special Cell of Delhi Police to take Tunda to another state to collect evidence in the 1994 Malviya Nagar explosives seizure case.

Delhi-born Tunda was on the list of top 20 terrorists wanted by India.

An aide of fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim, he was also wanted for suspected involvement in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts.

Tunda was arrested Friday in Uttarakhand's Banbasa area close to the Nepal border when he was trying to enter India.