Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh government yesterday withdrew orders remitting the life sentence of Syed Maqbool, the suspected Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative, whose role in February 21 terror attack in Hyderabad is being probed.
Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy signed the orders, cancelling the remission granted to Maqbool, convicted for murder, in 2009, official sources said. Maqbool along with another alleged IM operative Imran Khan, were currently lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail in 2012 Pune blasts case.
Earlier in the day, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took them back to Delhi after grilling them here for four days in connection with the twin bomb blasts at Dilsukhnagar, which killed 16 people and injured over 100 others. The chief minister took the decision after he held a high-level meeting with home minister, police chief and other senior officials.
The state government faced criticism for failing to prevent the blasts despite the admission by Maqbool and Imran after their arrest by Delhi Police in October last year they had conducted reconnaissance of Dilsukhnagar and other areas in Hyderabad to plant bombs. There was more embarrassment to the government when it was revealed that Maqbool’s life sentence was remitted by it in 2009. A native of Nanded in Maharashtra, Maqbool was involved in the murder of a man in Nizamabad district.
He was sentenced for life in 2004. He and his brother Syed Mukhtar Ahmed were among 940 prisoners, who were granted remission on October 2, 2009. Maqbool was even given a “good conduct” certificate by the Cherlapally Jail authorities. After his release, Maqbool allegedly developed links with terror outfit. He is suspected to be involved in some other cases of blasts.
Meanwhile, police said they have arrested a person in connection with last month’s twin bombings in Hyderabad. An official from the National Investigating Agency (NIA), a federal police unit that probes terror offences, said the suspect was arrested in the eastern Indian city of Ranchi.
Agencies
