An Indian court on Friday granted police extra time to hold and question the lone surviving gunman captured during the deadly attacks on Mumbai, a senior officer said.
The officer in charge of the investigation, Mumbai Police crime branch chief Rakesh Maria, told AFP that a judge had granted the request to detain Mohammed Ajmal Amir Iman -- also referred to as Kasab -- until February 26.
The extension was in connection with a taxi blast in the Vile Parle suburb of the city on November 26, one of a number of cases against the Pakistani national, he added.
Police have up to 90 days from the date of his arrest to file charges. Maria would not be drawn on when charges would be filed but said it would be before the expiry of the deadline.
A total of 165 people were killed and more than 300 injured when 10 gunman, allegedly belonging to the banned, Pakistan-based Islamist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), laid siege to several locations in India's financial capital.
Pakistan on Thursday admitted for the first time that the deadly strikes were partly planned on its soil. Mumbai police said they had sent a dossier of evidence to Islamabad detailing 16 people suspected of involvement.
Iman is among the 16, as are the nine other gunmen who were killed.
Two other suspected LeT members are also in custody in Mumbai accused of providing logistical support to the attackers.
Copyright 2009 AFP South Asian Edition
