Aluva, December 18: A court in Kerala today remanded PDP leader Abdul Madani’s wife Soofiya Madani, an accused in the 2005 Tamil Nadu bus burning case, to 14-day judicial custody.
Soofiya, who was arrested yesterday after the State high court rejected her plea for anticipatory bail, was produced before the judicial first class magistrate PS Joseph around 2.15pm amid tight security.
Adequate police personnel were deployed in strength near the court complex to prevent any untoward incidents. Only police and reporters were allowed inside the court complex when Soofiya’s case was taken up.
While delivering the verdict, the magistrate also directed that the accused should be provided medical aid if necessary. After the court proceedings, Soofiya was taken to the Ernakulam sub-jail.
The case relates to the torching of a Tamil Nadu bus, allegedly by PDP activists, at Kalamaserry near here in September 2005 during a protest against the then continued detention of Abdul Madani, in connection with the 1998 Coimbatore bomb blasts which left 58 persons dead and over 200 others injured. The PDP leader was later acquitted by a trial court.
Earlier, a police team led by Thrikakara assistant commissioner PM Varghese questioned Soofiya till late last night and this morning about her alleged links with other accused in the case, including suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba operative T Nazir.
Kochi city police commissioner Manoj Abraham also questioned her this morning. He later told reporters that Soofiya has been questioned extensively and police have got many important inputs, which are being verified.
The commissioner said only remand procedures would be undertaken today.
Soofiya was named as 10th accused in the bus burning case by Kerala police recently after the interrogation of Nazir, who was picked up on December 2 by the Bangladesh Rifles along with an aide, and handed over to Indian security agencies.
Nazir and his associate Shafaz have been questioned by Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu police teams in connection with terror-related cases, including the 2008 Bangalore serial blasts that left two persons dead and 12 others injured.
Nazir is now in the custody of Karnataka police.
Soofiya’s arrest came within minutes after the Kerala high court dismissed her anticipatory bail plea yesterday, observing that serious allegations had been levelled against her and that “waging war against the government was punishable with imprisonment for life or for 10 years”.
–Agencies