Non-bailable warrant against Madani

The Metropolitan Magistrate Court, Bangalore on Tuesday issued arrest warrant with non-bailable clauses against Islamist leader and PDP chairman Abdul Nasser Madani, 31st accused in the Bangalore blasts case. The court demanded production of Madani, who the Karnataka Police said was absconding, and other accused before it on or before June 23.

The Karnataka Home Department would now contact their Kerala Home Ministry for police assistance in arresting Madani, according to reports from Bangalore. Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan and Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan have offered assistance to the Karnataka Police “if they make a request”. However, officials declined to say when they expected to be able to lay their hands on Madani.

The Bangalore court, which on Tuesday examined the additional chargesheet and the associated documents filed by the Karnataka Police on June 11, ordered that all the 32 accused in the case should be produced on or before June 23. The case would be taken up again on that day. Warrants with non-bailable conditions had been issued against Madani and the 32nd accused in the case.

Reports from Bangalore said that the police had said in the chargesheet that they had to question Madani further and that he was absconding. It was on the basis of this the court had issued warrant against the Islamist leader. The additional chargesheet was prepared after officials from the Karnataka Police questioned Madani and his wife Sufiya in Kerala on June 4 and 5.

The chargesheet in which the Karnataka Police named Madani and five others as accused was the third they had submitted in the court on the nine cases registered in connection with the terror attack. The Karnataka Police had asked Madani and Sufiya to appear before them in Bangalore for questioning on February 18 but they had declined to oblige citing his heath complaints and the court’s bail conditions on her. Sufiya is tenth accused in the terror case related to the burning of a Tamil Nadu bus off Kochi on September 9, 2005.

Meanwhile, Madani’s lawyers could not file his anticipatory bail plea in the Bangalore on Tuesday also due to their failure to obtain the copy of the first information report (FIR) of the case. PDP leaders in Kollam said the bail plea could be filed as soon as the FIR’s copy was received. They hoped to submit the bail application on Wednesday. Madani and his party had already announced that they would fight the case legally. The Islamist leader has repeatedly denied any role in the blasts.

The PDP chairman was made an accused in the blasts case on the basis of the statements of prime accused and LeT’s South India commander Thadiyantavide Nazeer. The Karnataka Police said in the chargesheet that Nazeer had talked to Madani before and after the Bangalore blasts of July 25, 2008. They said Nazeer had spoken to Madani over the phone and also in person during his visit to Anvarssery.

The chargesheet added that Madani had prior knowledge about the plan for the blasts and had known those who had perpetrated it. Madani was made an accused on the charge of inciting anti-national activities. The others named as accused in the additional chargesheet were Faizal alias Shoaib of Pappinissery, Kannur, Sharafuddin of Kuruva, Kannur, Thajuddin of Ernakulam, Sabeer P Buhari of Perumbavoor, Ernakulam and Abdul Khader from Coorg, Karnataka.

Apart from Nazeer, the accused in the case included the terror man’s aide and relative Shafaz from Kannur, LeT’s funds-manager Sarfaraz Nawaz of Ernakulam and its explosives expert Abdul Sattar alias Sainuddin from Kondotty in Muslim-majority Malappuram district.

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