Jailbreak bid case: Cops to seek custody of 5 other accused

The city Crime Branch has sought custody of another five accused in the 2008 serial bomb blasts case to question them in connection with the unsuccessful jail-break attempt at Sabarmati central jail last month.
The Crime Branch had earlier taken into custody five blasts case accused, who were being questioned for their alleged role in jailbreak attempt by digging a tunnel inside Sabarmati jail. They were sent to judicial custody by a metropolitan court here today.
The Crime Branch had not sought extension of their police remand, which was granted by a magistrate's court here last Thursday.
Now, police are seeking remand of another five accused -- Mufti Abubashar, Mohammad Ismail, Nadeem Saiyed, Iqbal Sheikh and Mohammad Ansar Abdulrazzak -- to question them in the case.

Meanwhile, JCP (Crime) A K Sharma said that the accused had completed 25 per cent of digging work for the tunnel before it was discovered.
"Bomb blasts accused had completed 25 per cent of the digging work before it was discovered. We have used a modern system, used by fire brigade department to establish till what end the tunnel was dug," he said.

"We will also interrogate all those who visited the accused after taking details of the visitors' list from the jail administration," Sharma added.
A daring escape plan came to light on February 10 when the authorities stumbled upon a 16-feet-deep and 26-feet-long tunnel inside barrack No 4 of Sabarmati jail, where 14 of the 68 Ahmedabad serial blasts case accused were lodged.

The Ahmedabad blasts trial is being conducted by the sessions judge Jyotsna Yagnik in the court set up inside the Sabarmati Central Jail premises.