Pune court sends two terror suspects wanted by NIA to police custody till July 25

Jul 19, 2023

Pune (Maharashtra) [India], July 19 : A Pune magistrate court on Wednesday sent two arrested suspects who were wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for their alleged involvement in terror-related activities to police custody till July 25.
The accused Mohammad Imran Mohammad Yunus Khan (23) and Mohammad Yunus Mohammad Yakub Saki (24) were produced before a judicial magistrate (first class) court on Wednesday after being arrested by Pune Police on Tuesday early morning from the Kothrud area of the city, during the patrolling.
Police officials nabbed the duo while they attempted to steal a bike. However, after investigation and house searches of the accused, it was found that both were wanted in the NIA cases registered in Delhi and both were booked by the NIA in terror-related activities in Rajasthan.
Pune police after the arrest charged both of them with forgery (under section 468), theft (under section 379), and attempt to steal (under section 511), as well as relevant sections of the Arms Act and Maharashtra Police Act.
After being produced before the court, during the court proceedings, the prosecution requested eight-day custody of the accused, citing their connection to a case involving the relevant sections of the Explosives Substance Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The prosecution also informed the court about the seizure of suspicious items from the accused, such as a live cartridge, a magazine, a drone camera cover, suspicious white powder, a forged Aadhaar card, and other articles total to 42.
The defence counsel, Yashpal Purohit and Advocate Saurabh More opposed the police custody, arguing that the police had already imposed IPC and arms act sections and contended that this case was distinct from the NIA case.
Adv More stated, "The police have already seized 42 articles, and there is no need for further custodial interrogation."
After considering the arguments, Judge A C Birajdar observed that the accused were involved in a serious crime under the provisions of the UAPA Act, necessitating comprehensive investigation, and thus, granted police custody until July 25.
According to the prosecution, both accused are graphics designers from Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh. The third suspect, who managed to escape, hails from Jharkhand and fled during a house search.
Commissioner of Police, Retesh Kumarr, informed reporters that the wanted accused had been staying in Pune's Kondhwa area for the past 16 months.
When asked about their motive and whether they were planning any terror acts in Pune, he said that the accused were arrested the previous night, and further details would be revealed during the ongoing investigation.
Regarding the third suspect, he assured that the authorities were actively pursuing him and that he would be apprehended soon.