CTD gets remand of three ‘SRA’ men in Kharadar blast case

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) has remanded three suspects, who are believed to be associated with the outlawed Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army (SRA), in the Counter Terrorism Department’s (CTD) custody for questioning in connection with its investigation into the Kharadar blast case.

On May 16 an improvised explosive device planted on a motorbike had gone off in the Boulton Market area of Kharadar, resulting in the death of a woman and injuries to 11 other people.

The blast had followed on the heels of a similar incident in the busy Saddar area on May 12 that had left a teenage passer-by dead and injured nine other people. The SRA claimed responsibility for both the explosions.

The CTD produced the three suspects — Dilbar Ali, Abdul Qayyum and Abdul Sattar — before the administrative judge of the ATCs. Ali had been in the CTD’s custody since June 19 and was brought to the court on the completion of his remand, while the rest had been arrested recently.

The investigating officer said the suspects are required to be interrogated about the Kharadar blast and their fleeing accomplices, and pleaded with the judge to approve their police remand for at least 14 days.

The court, however, handed over the custody of the suspects to the CTD until July 4, with directions to the officer to produce them on the expiry of their remand along with an investigation report.

Ali, an alleged facilitator of the Kharadar blast, had turned out to be a policeman. He had been posted at one of the most important units of the Sindh police, the Rapid Response Force, according to a CTD official.

He was apprehended for his alleged links with the terrorist outfit SRA. Interestingly, he had also been arrested in the past in Larkana but was released shortly after due to a lack of evidence.