Lokesh Sharma in 10 days CBI custody

A city court on Tuesday granted 10-day police custody of Lokesh Sharma, one of the accused in the Mecca Masjid blast case, to the Central Bureau of Investigation (Cbi). 

Sharma will be in Cbi's custody from Wednesday till July 9. The court passed the orders after Cbi filed a petition seeking custodial interrogation of Sharma in connection with the Mecca Masjid blast case. 

After completion of Test Identification Parade, Cbi sought his custody for a period of 15 days, saying questioning of Sharma can throw more light and help in investigations to arrive at the truth in the case. However, the court permitted 10-day police custody.

Another accused Devender Gupta, who allegedly conspired to carry out explosion in the Mecca Masjid, is presently under custody of Cbi till June 30. 

Gupta and Sharma were brought to Hyderabad from Ajmer on June 17 as part of investigation into the Mecca Masjid blast which had claimed 9 lives on May 18, 2007. The duo are presently under judicial remand. 

The investigating agency, which is probing the Mecca Masjid blast, had registered a case on June 9, 2007 under various sections of IPC and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and has so far named five persons (all having alleged links with RSS) including Gupta and Sharma as accused in the case.