No evidence of Akbar Ismail Chaudhary's role in serial blasts: Counsel

A suspected Indian Mujahideen terrorist today claimed before a Delhi court that the police had failed to provide any evidence with regard to his role in the 2008 serial blasts here except disclosure statements of co-accused.

"Mumbai police, which had arrested Akbar Ismail Chaudhary, alleged that he had provided a Maruti Esteem car to the co-accused allegedly used by them at the time of hacking of a
wi-fi network to send email to media houses. But they could
not recover the said vehicle," Chaudhary's counsel M S Khan
told additional sessions judge Santosh Snehi Mann.

The Delhi police did not have any evidence to substantiate their claim that Chaudhary had supplied his elder brother's car to Mansoor Asghar Peerbhoy, alleged head of media cell of
Indian Mujahideen, for their use in Mumbai at the time of sending emails to media houses minutes before the blasts here on September 13, 2008, Khan said.

The police has not been able to find that car till date and could not even point out its registration number while the owner of the said vehicle was still at large, he said.

The role of Chaudhary was disclosed by co-accused Asif Bashiruddin Sheikh, Mobin Kader Sheikh and, Peerbhoy, all
allegedly belonging to IM's media cell while in custody of the
Delhi police as one of their associates.

They allegedly disclosed that Chaudhary had provided them the car and brought them from Pune to Mumbai in the same vehicle before the incident.

The disclosure statements were not admissible as evidence in the court, Khan submitted. 

He had been sought to be prosecuted under various provisions of IPC, Explosive Substances Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Chaudhary was arrested by Mumbai police on October 5, 2008.

Khan, who concluded his argument with regard to the alleged role of Chaudhary, sought his discharge from the court saying there was no evidence to proceed against him.

The counsel is likely to resume tomorrow advancing of arguments with regard to the alleged role of other accused in the serial blasts that claimed 26 lives and left 135 injured. 

Meanwhile, Jaipur police sought custody of Salman from a separate court for probing his alleged in Jaipur blasts. 

Chief metropolitan magistrate Kaveri Baweja, however, refused to pass any order in this regard saying the production warrant issued by Chief Judicial Magistrate, Jaipur, could be submitted before Tihar jail authorities here for compliance.

70 people were killed and 186 other injured in the series of blasts in Jaipur on May 13, 2008.