Mumbai: Sayed Mohammed Hanif Abdul Rahim alleged mastermind behind the August 25 twin explosions in the city, was on September 2 remanded to police custody till September 15 by a Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) court.

He was arrested on September 1 but could not be produced in the court along with three other accused as was hospitalised a following blood pressure problem and was discharged from Bhabha hospital on September 2.

Hanif, suspected to have links with Lashkar-e-toiba, was produced in a burkha amidst tight security before the designated judge A P Bhangale.

He told the court that he was 40-year-old and that he had no complaints against the police.

In another development, the POTA court ordered police to produce co-accused Farheen Sayed, daughter of Hanif, before a juvenile court, as she was a minor. The court had on September 1 remanded her to police custody till September 15 after she was arrested under POTA. However, in keeping with juvenile justice act, the court ordered her production before a juvenile court.

Prosecutor Rohini Salian told the court that police had discovered during investigations that Farheen was a minor and produced a birth certificate in support of this claim.

Police informed the court that they would produce Farheen before metropolitan magistrate of juvenile court at Dongri in South Mumbai on September 3.

Hanif, his wife, Fahimida, daughter Farheen and co-accused Arshad Shafiq Ahmed Ansari were arrested on September 1 under POTA for planning and executing twin blasts at Mumbadevi and Gateway of India on August 25 in which 52 people were killed and more than 100 injured.

PTI