Sufiya Madani appears in court

PNS | Kochi

Sufiya, wife of Islamist leader and 31st accused in the Bangalore bombings case Abdul Nasser Madani, appeared in the Special CBI Court (NIA Court) in Kochi on Monday when it took up the case pertaining to the burning of a Tamil Nadu State bus at Kalamassery near Kochi on September 9, 2005. She is tenth of the case.

This was the first time Sufiya had appeared in the NIA court after the chargesheet was filed in the case sometime back. She had not appeared the last time the court took up the case citing health reasons. Sufiya requested the court to allow her to continue on bail.

Sufiya was arrested on December 17, 2008 and she had been on bail since then. LeT’s South India commander and prime accused in the Bangalore bombings case Thadiyantavide Nazeer is the first accused in the case. According to the NIA which investigated the case, Sufiya was aware of the conspiracy that led to the burning of the bus.

Seven of the accused, including Nazeer, were produced before the court on Monday. The NIA court would consider the case again on March 21. It also said it would take up the case pertaining to recruitment of youths into LeT for training in Kashmir on March 19.