By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
Bengaluru: The hearing on the bail plea submitted by PDP chairman Abdunnasir Maudany, arrested in connection with the 2008 Bengaluru blast case, will take place on Monday. Prosecution yesterday filed the counter-affidavit opposing the bail plea. Meanwhile the Karnataka police would again send notice to the four policemen in guard duty of Maudany, asking them to be present for interrogation.
The prosecution reportedly accused that Maudany had conspired with the prime accused T Naseer and the 12th accused Abdul Raheem, who is said to be killed in encounter in Kashmir. Maudany is also accused of attending the camp organized by Naseer in Kudagu and hiding the information on the war against the country. It reportedly alleges that Maudany was a member of the Noorisha Thareeqath.
Meanwhile, the Bengaluru police will reportedly send notice to four policemen who had served as Maudany’s guards, after his release from the Coimbatore prison, asking them to appear for interrogation. Notices were sent to the policemen – Shajahan, Nabeel, Sajeevan and Basheer – via the Kerala police, but they failed to appear before the Karnataka police, according to reports. So, notices would be sent again. However, Shajahan had earlier informed that he did not appear before the Bengaluru police as he had not got permission for it from the Kerala police. He informed in a letter submitted to the state police that he was not in the guard duty when the alleged Kudagu conspiracy was held. Maudany was in the B category protection of the state government since his release from Coimbatore prison in 2007 August which would require the presence of policemen anywhere he went, which raises doubts on the charge that he had attended the camp at Kudagu. However, there are reports that certain witnesses had testified to seeing Maudany and his guards in Kudagu, though they describe Maudany as one-legged whereas Maudany always uses his artificial leg. (He lost his right leg in a bomb blast in 1992.)
The investigating team yesterday questioned Rajeeb, PDP state secretary. The police had sent notices to Rajeeb and Hameed Master, reportedly a member of Maudany’s private protection team. Rajeeb appeared before the investigating officers yesterday with his lawyer. Hameed Master could not be questioned as he was reportedly in the Viyyur Prison in connection with another case.
Maudany submitted the bail plea on August 26. The prosecution asked for more time to file the counter-argument when the plea was considered on the next day. The plea was then postponed to August 30, but could not be considered as the judge was on leave. Meanwhile, the judicial custody of Maudany was extended till September 14 on Tuesday.
Maudany, 31st accused in the 2008 Bengaluru blast case, was arrested from Kerala on August 17 when he was on his way to surrender in court. He was taken to Bengaluru where he was remanded to police custody for ten days. After that he was remanded to judicial custody which has not been extended till September 14. He was denied anticipatory bail by a Bengaluru court and then the Karnataka High Court. It was again denied by the Supreme Court as he was already arrested minutes before the plea was taken for consideration in the Apex Court. Maudany maintains that he was innocent and that the charges against him were all fabricated. He has vowed to fight the legal battle to prove his part. Maudany was earlier jailed in connection with the 1998 Coimbatore blast for nearly ten years before being released finding him innocent of the charges in 2007.