Ahmedabad: All 13 accused arrested in the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad’s (ATS) investigation into an alleged Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror module are now lodged at Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad after a court ordered the latest batch of accused to be sent to judicial custody.
Ten accused were produced before the Kadi court on Friday after the expiry of their police remand under tight security.
Following the hearing, the court directed that all 10 be sent to the Central Jail.
The 10 included five of the eight suspects arrested by the ATS earlier this month who had been in police custody, along with five more men arrested subsequently during the investigation.
The remaining three members of the first group had already been remanded to a sub-jail. Those three have now also been transferred to Sabarmati Central Jail, meaning all 13 accused in the case are being held at the Ahmedabad prison pending further legal proceedings.
The case began with the arrest of eight suspects on July 3 after the Gujarat ATS alleged they were associated with the banned Pakistan-based organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed and were attempting to establish an active network in Gujarat.
The accused were booked under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
During the investigation and interrogation of the first group of accused, the ATS arrested five more suspects from north Gujarat, taking the total number of arrests to 13.
According to the ATS, the later arrests were made after fresh leads emerged during the investigation into the alleged module.
At earlier press briefings, ATS Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Sunil Joshi had alleged that the group was involved in spreading the ideology of the banned outfit, recruiting members and building a support network.
Investigators also alleged that the accused had procured materials allegedly intended for making improvised explosive devices and had conducted trial explosions at multiple locations as part of the alleged conspiracy.
These allegations remain part of the ATS investigation and are yet to be tested in court.
With the completion of police remand for the latest batch of accused, the investigation will continue while all 13 remain in judicial custody at Sabarmati Central Jail.
The case is expected to proceed in accordance with the provisions of the UAPA and other applicable laws.
(IANS)
