One booked in Malegaon fake bomb case

Mateen Hafeez & Shibu Thomas I TNN
Mumbai: The police recently booked powerloom labourer Noorul Huda, 23, for allegedly planting a fake bomb in a mosque in Malegaon on September 14. Huda had on October 8 also been arrested for being a member of the banned
Simi outfit, but he was granted bail in that case. The new booking allows the police to keep Huda in custody.

On September 14, two boxes were found on the staircase of the Mohammedia mosque in central Malegaon, creating panic in the city. Sniffer dogs confirmed the presence of explosives, but after eight hours the police found “mud mixed with firecracker powder’’ in the boxes. A case of mischief to create panic was registered against an unknown person with the Malegaon police.

On Sunday, Rajvardhan, superintendent of police, Nashik (rural), said, “We have booked Huda in the hoax bomb case. The chemical analysis report of the mixture stated that it was firecracker powder mixed with mud. He has been sent to police custody till October 26.’’

Azeem Khan, lawyer for Huda, said, “The judge granted Huda bail in the Simi case and soon the police arrested him in the Mohammedia mosque case. I didn’t have the report of the chemical analysis of the hoax bomb with me. On that day, the NSG squad had come and examined it.’’

Meanwhile, Huda asked the Bombay high court on Monday to restrain the police from conducting narco-analysis, brain-mapping and lie-detector tests on him. The police sought to conduct the tests in connection with the September 8 blasts in Malegaon.

Huda’s advocate Amin Solkar said his client had not even been shown as arrested in the Malegaon blast case. Solkar added that Huda had already undergone a round of tests at Bangalore.

Vacation judge Justice Anup Mohta refused to grant a stay, while adjourning the hearing till Wednesday.

The Times of India, October 25, 2006