New Delhi, 8 December (H.S.): The Patiala House Court in Delhi on Monday extended the National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody of four accused in the Red Fort blast case by four days. Principal District and Sessions Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna passed the order after the NIA sought additional custody for further interrogation.

The four accused — Dr. Muzammil Shakeel Ganai from Pulwama, Dr. Adil Ahmad Rathar from Jammu and Kashmir, Dr. Shaheen Saeed from Lucknow, and Mufti Irfan Wage from Jammu and Kashmir — were produced before the court as their earlier remand expired on Monday.

The court had earlier remanded them to NIA custody twice — first till November 29 and subsequently till December 8. The agency contended that further custodial interrogation was necessary to trace the larger conspiracy and identify additional suspects involved in the blast.

Earlier, on November 27, the court had extended by seven days the NIA custody of Jaseer Bilal Wani alias Danish, a close associate of suicide bomber Dr. Umar Nabi, in connection with the same case.The explosion occurred on November 10 near the Red Fort when an I-10 car believed to be registered under the name of Aamir Rashid Ali detonated, killing 13 people and injuring 32 others. The NIA has so far arrested seven individuals linked to the incident as part of its expanding investigation.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar