New Delhi, 07 July (H.S.):

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday rejected the bail application of Mansoor Ashgar Peerbhoy, an accused in the 2008 Delhi serial bomb blasts case and a suspected member of the Indian Mujahideen. A Bench headed by Justice Prathiba M. Singh dismissed the plea.

The High Court observed that Mansoor Ashgar Peerbhoy served as the media head of the Indian Mujahideen and had sent the infamous Message of Death email claiming responsibility for the serial bomb blasts shortly before the attacks took place. While rejecting his bail plea, the Court noted that Peerbhoy was employed at a company in Pune, where his responsibilities included developing email software as well as proxy and web proxy servers. The Court further observed that he headed the media wing of the Indian Mujahideen.

The 2008 Delhi serial bomb blasts claimed the lives of 26 people and left 135 others injured. The Indian Mujahideen had claimed responsibility for the attacks. Five First Information Reports (FIRs) were registered in connection with the case. During the investigation, a police officer was killed and two others were injured in the Batla House encounter while security forces were searching for suspected terrorists linked to the blasts.

According to the Delhi Police, Peerbhoy's primary role was not limited to planting bombs; rather, he allegedly provided critical technical support to the conspiracy. Investigators alleged that shortly before the blasts, he drafted the email sent to media organisations using an unsecured Wi-Fi network to conceal the identity of the sender. The Delhi Police further alleged that Pirbhoy played a key role in creating the online propaganda and communication infrastructure used by the Indian Mujahideen.

Peerbhoy was arrested by the Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in October 2008 and was subsequently taken into custody by the Delhi Police Special Cell for further investigation into the case.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar