Court issues production warrant against LeT operative Jundal

A special NIA court here today issued a production warrant for July 2 against suspected top Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorist Abu Jundal, one of the alleged masterminds of 26/11 attacks in Mumbai.
District Judge I S Mehta was scheduled to hear arguments on charges in the case in which Jundal was chargesheeted by National Investigation Agency (NIA) for allegedly conspiring to carry out terror activities in India.
The court issued production warrant after Jundal, who is presently lodged in Arthur Road jail in Mumbai, was not produced before it.
Earlier, Jundal's counsel M S Khan had moved a plea, contending that Jundal is lodged in Mumbai and his physical presence was essential here in order to ensure "fair and reasonable opportunity" to the accused to enable his lawyer to defend him properly under his instructions.

Jundal, who is also known as Sayed Zabiuddin Ansari, is now lodged in Arthur Road jail in connection with an alleged conspiracy to launch 26/11 Mumbai terror strikes.
Jundal was chargesheeted by NIA for offences punishable under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for allegedly attempting to recruit persons through Internet for banned outfit, LeT, and conspiring to carry out terror activities in India.

In its charge sheet, NIA had said that in and around 2005, Jundal, along with his absconding associate Fayyaz Kagzi, had joined LeT and in November 2005, they went to Nepal to meet LeT commander Abdul Aziz and received a three-day training of bomb assembling and IED-making from him.

It had also claimed that on returning to India, Jundal fled to Pakistan via Bangladesh and stayed in Karachi and in LeT's headquarters in Muridke.
He did three training courses in LeT training camp and came in touch with LeT top operatives, including its chief Hafiz Saeed, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and Zarar Shah, NIA had alleged.