Ahmedabad: Three local persons, arrested from Hyderabad by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with former Gujarat Home Minister Haren Pandya's killing, were remanded to judicial custody till May 22 by chief metropolitan magistrate N B Raneksha on May 9.

The three, arrested by investigating agencies from Hyderabad in the last week of April and remanded to CBI custody, were produced before the CMM on expiry of remand.

Kaleem Ahmed alias Mulla Kalim, who allegedly connived with the mastermind and absconding co- accused Mufti Ahmed Sufiyan Patangia to foment "large-scale terrorist activities in Gujarat", kept a close watch on Pandya's daily movements and habits, official sources said.

He was reportedly educated at a madrassa at Navsari in South Gujarat and also owned an electronic repair shop in the Walled City. Kalim is also alleged to have designed the "tiffin bombs" that exploded in four Ahmedabad Municipal Transport buses in May last year leaving 12 persons injured.

Machiswala, a local businessman, was instrumental in supplying weapons to sharpshooter Ali and three Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) agents, who aided him in assassinating Pandya at Law Garden on March 26, sources said.

He also allegedly sheltered Ali for two days after they fled the scene after the assassination.

Both Maschiswala and Gandhi are reported to have undergone "ISI training" in November last year.

PTI