3 men arrested on suspicion of being members of ISIS-inspired group sent to judicial custody

A Delhi court Thursday sent three people, arrested on suspicion of being members of an ISIS-inspired group and for planning terror attacks across the country, to judicial custody.

The accused, along with seven others, were arrested for allegedly planning suicide attacks and serial blasts, targeting politicians as also government installations, in Delhi and other parts of north India.

Zubair Malik (20), Rashid Zafar Raq alias Zafar (23) and Anas Yunus (24) were sent to judicial custody till February 6, after NIA produced them before the court on expiry of their custodial interrogation.

The agency said they were not required for further questioning by the NIA.

Special Judge Rakesh Syal had earlier sent five other accused -- Zubair's brother Zaid (22), Saeed alias Sayeed (28), his brother Raees Ahmad, Mohammed Irshad (in late 20s) and Mohammed Azam (35) -- to the judicial custody till February 6 after the NIA did not seek their further remand.

The court had extended the NIA custody of Mufti Mohammed Suhail alias Hazrath (29) and Saqib Iftekar (26) which will end on January 12.

Advocate Prashant Prakash, appearing for the accused, had opposed the NIA plea for further custodial interrogation, saying there was no fresh ground.

Ten accused were arrested on December 26 last year after NIA carried out searches, in coordination with special cell of Delhi Police and Anti-Terrorism Squad of Uttar Pradesh Police, at six places in Jafrabad, Seelampur in Delhi, and 11 places in Uttar Pradesh - six in Amroha, two in Lucknow, two in Hapur and two in Meerut.

According to NIA, a locally-made rocket launcher, material for suicide vests, 12 pistols, several rounds of live ammunition and 112 alarm clocks to be used as timers were recovered from the searches.

The agency had also said it recovered 25 kg of explosive material -- Potassium Nitrate, Ammonium Nitrate and Sulphur.

The group allegedly had also purchased remote control cars and wireless doorbells to use their circuits in assembling remote controlled improvised explosive devices.

Besides, the NIA also recovered steel containers, electric wires, 91 mobile phones, 134 SIM cards, 3 laptops, knife, sword, Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS)-related literature and Rs 7.5 lakh cash during the searches.

The probe agency had initially rounded up 16 persons of the group 'Harkat ul Harb e Islam', which loosely translates into war for the cause of Islam.

Of the 16 detained, 10 were later arrested - five from Amroha, in UP and five from Seelampur and Jafrabad localities in north-east Delhi, the agency had said.