Court extends crime branch custody of Abu Jundal

Mumbai: A Metropolitan court on Tuesday  gave further custody of suspected LeT operative Abu Jundal to the crime branch till August 13, after it said it wanted to match the 26/11 handler’s DNA sample with those collected from Kuber boat that launched the perpetrators on Mumbai shores. Seeking Jundal’s custody, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said police had collected DNA samples from Kuber boat in which 10 terrorists had arrived here. He said some samples obtained from the boat matched those of the deceased terrorists and now police wanted to ascertain if Jundal’s DNA sample was also among those collected from the boat. [caption id=“attachment_398780” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Abu Jundal. PTI[/caption] 30-year-old Sayed Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal is accused of participating in the 26/11 conspiracy allegedly hatched in Pakistan. He is believed to have issued directions to the terrorists holed up at Nariman House during the attacks. Nikam told the court the Crime Branch also wanted to trace the routes taken by Jundal to reach Pakistan after he fled India. The police, Nikam said, needed his assistance to arrest those who helped him escape to Pakistan. Nikam also told the court that Jundal had created email IDs in fictitious names and police wanted to retrieve those with his help as he alone knew the passwords. Describing Jundal was one of the key persons in the LeT who taught Hindi to the 26/11 terrorists, the prosecutor said he gave them instructions from a control room in Karachi during the attacks. Earlier, Jundal, who hails from Beed district of Maharashtra, was produced before a Metropolitan Magistrate’s court here amidst tight security. The 26/11 handler is also required in other cases in Maharashtra including the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case, 2010 German Bakery blast in Pune and the plan to attack Nashik Police Academy. PTI