Accused in 2007 Mecca masjid blast arrested

NEW DELHI - The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Friday arrested a man allegedly involved in the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast. He was produced in a city court, which granted the CBI his transit remand for two days.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ajay Pandey allowed the CBI plea to produce him in a Hyderabad court by Sunday.

“The accused will be produced before the designated court at Hyderabad for further remand,” said an official.

Accused Jatin Chatterjee, also known as Swami Asimanand, was staying near Haridwar under an assumed name and he also managed to obtain forged identity documents. CBI recovered a passport issued by RPO Kolkata, a ration card and an election ID card issued by the Haridwar authorities from his possession.

Nine people were killed in the Mecca Masjid on May 18, 2007. Five more people were killed in police firing when protests were held immediately after the blasts.

According to the official, Chatterjee’s name also came up during the probe into the 2008 Malegaon blast when the Maharashtra Police recovered his driver’s number from Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, an accused in the Malegaon case.