Court refuses to pass order on alleged threat to IM suspect

A Delhi court has refused to pass any order on an application of a suspected Indian Mujahideen terrorist seeking direction to Tihar Jail authorities claiming that there was a threat to his life inside the prison.

Additional sessions judge Santosh Snehi Mann did not issue
any order on the plea of Salman, an accused in the serial blasts cases of September 13, 2008, who claimed threat to his life from other jail inmates.

The court's decision came after Tihai jail authorities submitted a report before it stating that the accused had already been kept in a high security ward.

"It is submitted that the accused is lodged in high security ward by the order of DG (Prison) and that apprehension of threat to his life and limb and harassment caused by fellow inmates could not be substantiated," the court said.

"It is further submitted that keeping in view of the apprehension of the accused, staff concerned has been sensitised to keep strict vigil so that no such incident could take place," it said.

The jail authorities had also stated that the accused has been kept in a ward which was meant for prisoners between the
age group of 18-21.

The court had earlier refused to allow another plea of Salman claiming that he was juvenile at the time of serial blasts that had claimed 26 lives and left over 135 other injured in the capital on September 13, 2008.

Salman, who remained elusive for over a year after the blasts, was arrested on March 6 by Anti-Terrorism Squad of Uttar Pradesh police from Siddarth Nagar about 300 km from Lucknow.

Delhi police had already filed supplementary charge sheets
against him.

The court is now likely to start hearing arguments on framing of charges next month against 14 IM suspects arrested for their alleged role in serial blasts here.