KOCHI: Abdul Subhan Qureshi alias Tauqeer, the founder member of Indian Mujahideen (IM), is likely to be brought to Kochi next week in connection with the probe in the Wagamon SIMI camp case. Earlier, the Kochi NIA Court had issued a warrant to produce Qureshi, an accused in the case, on March 27. However, he could not be produced before the court.
An NIA officer said Qureshi was in the custody of the Gujarat Police as part of the probe into the Ahmedabad serial blasts case. He will be brought back to New Delhi soon. The NIA is planning to produce Qureshi before the Kochi NIA Court on April 3.“Currently, the other police agencies are taking him into custody as part of the probe into their respective cases. Hence, he could not be produced before the court on Tuesday. We have sought another production warrant from the court to produce him on April 3,” an officer said.
Qureshi termed as ‘Bin Laden of India’ was arrested by the Delhi Police in January. After the Ahmedabad serial blasts, he had been hiding in Saudi Arabia and Nepal. Qureshi was arrested from New Delhi after he returned from Saudi Arabia for reorganising IM.“We will check with the Tihar jail authorities on whether he will be available to be brought to Kochi on April 3. Accordingly, a team from Kochi will go to New Delhi for this purpose. Considering the security measures, he has to be brought by flight from Delhi,” the officer said.
A Maharastra native, Qureshi is the 35th accused in the case. He was the treasurer of SIMI when the camp was held at Wagamon in December 2007, as a preparation for the Ahmedabad serial blasts. The trial of the case is currently under way at the NIA Court in Kochi. The final hearing case will commence on April 2. NIA Court Judge Kauser Edapagath has scheduled the final hearing of the case for April 2, 3, 9 and 10. The examination of defence witnesses was completed on Tuesday. As many as 35 accused persons are facing trial in the case.There are a total of 38 accused, of whom Wasiq Billa is still absconding. Mehaboob Malik, the 31st accused, was shot dead while trying to escape from the Bhopal Central Jail last year.