Abu Jundal tells court he wants to shift to Delhi from Mumbai jail

New Delhi: Suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorist Abu Jundal, an alleged mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, on Thursday told a Delhi court he should be shifted here on completion of trial in an ongoing case in the western metropolis and the case here should not be conducted through video conferencing to enable him consult his lawyer.

Jundal alias Sayed Zabiuddin Ansari, who is currently lodged in Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail, was produced before the court here through video conferencing where he requested the judge that he be shifted to Delhi for proceedings in the case pending here.

He told District Judge Amar Nath that trial in the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case in Mumbai, in which he is also an accused, was nearing an end and he should be brought to Delhi after that so that he can consult his counsel M S Khan for his defence in the case.

The court had last month allowed a plea of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) seeking to conduct the proceedings in the case through video-conferencing after the agency apprehended threat to Jundal's life.

The proceedings in the case in which NIA had chargesheeted Jundal for allegedly conspiring to carry out terror activities in India have been stalled since May 2013 as Jundal was not produced before the court here.

The court, after hearing Jundal's submission, fixed the matter for November 5 for arguments on charges in the case.

In its application filed earlier before the court, NIA had said that Jundal cannot be produced here as the Maharashtra government, in its May 2013 resolution, apprehends that he could be assassinated or kidnapped by rivals during his transit from jail to court.