A Delhi court today granted permission for the National Investigation Agency to keep the two alleged Indian Mujahideen operatives in four-day custody to further interrogate them in connection with the Hyderabad twin blasts that left 16 dead.

During an in-chamber hearing, District Judge I.S. Mehta allowed the NIA’s plea seeking custody of Syed Maqbool and Imran Khan to confront them with another alleged IM operative Obaid-Ur-Rehman, who has been brought from Bangalore Central Jail and is in NIA’s custody till March 20 in connection with the case, sources said.

Maqbool and Imran were brought from Tihar Jail after the court had yesterday issued production warrants against them.

The sources said the NIA told the court that it needs to confront both Maqbool and Imran with Obaid-Ur-Rehman as some conflicting statements have been given by them during their separate interrogation.

The two were earlier remanded to NIA’s custody for five days by the court during which they were taken to Hyderabad in connection with the blasts.

Rehman was remanded to NIA’s custody on March 13 after the agency had submitted that his custodial interrogation was required to unearth the entire conspiracy which led to the bombings. He was brought from Bangalore jail after the court had issued a production warrant against him.

The sources had said the NIA had told the court that Rehman was a key IM operative and he may give some vital information against the banned group’s members who were involved in the blasts.

The NIA had told the court that Maqbool and Imran had revealed some important facts about the blasts, the sources had said.

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