CUTTACK: Suspected Al Qaeda Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) operative Abdul Rehman was sent back to Tihar Central Jail after being produced in the court of Judicial Magistrate, First Class(JMFC) at Salepur here on Monday.
Rehman (38), who was allegedly running a Madrasa at Bilteruan village within Tangi police limits here, was arrested during a joint operation of Delhi and Odisha police from his house at Paschimakachha village under Salepur block on December 15, 2015 night on charges of radicalising youths for terror activities.
Amid tight security, Rehman was produced before Salepur JMFC court in connection with a case which Jagatpur police had registered against him on December 17, 2015. Later, the Special Task Force (STF) of Crime Branch took up the case for investigation. After hearing the case, the court sent Rehman back to Tihar jail.
Rehman’s counsel Arunoday Mohanty prayed for commitment of the case to Sessions Court besides pleading for the accused to be lodged in Choudwar Circle Jail instead of being sent back to Tihar. The court, however, refused to entertain the plea.
Mohanty said the JMFC considered the scheduled date for Rehaman’s appearance before Patiala House Court on May 23, 2017 and posted the further date for production of Rehman in the local court to May 29.
Rehman was taken by Delhi police on remand at about 1 pm.
Rehman’s arrest in 2015 had triggered State-wide furore and exposed the vulnerability of Odisha to Islamic terror.
During interrogation by the STF, Rehman had admitted of his link with terrorists involved in 1999 Kandahar plane hijack and 2002 American Centre blast in Kolkata.