RAWALPINDI, Oct 17: An anti-terrorism court here on Friday remanded three persons, allegedly involved in the fatal suicide attack on Marriot hotel, in Secretariat Police custody for seven days.

Secretariat Police had sought the custody of the accused Dr Mohammad Usman a resident of Hayatabad, Peshawar, Rana Ilyas Ahmed a resident of Sumanderi, Faisalabad, and Muhammad Hameed Afzal a resident of Toba Tek Sing, for ten days to interrogate them for their role in the blast, to inquire about the ownership of the dumper truck used in the blast, the record of their mobile phones and the explosive material.

The ATC-II Judge Sakhi Mohammad Kahot assented to the submission of the police and remanded the accused in the police custody for seven days instead of ten.

Police in their submission for physical remand stated that the accused were arrested on October 16 on a tip-off. They were to be interrogated for the information about other people involved in the attack and their network.

Secretariat Police registered a case No. 517 under sections 302, 324, 427, 436 and 109 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) 1860, section 7 of anti-terrorism act 1997 and section 3 and 4 of explosive act (EA) on September 20 against unknown persons.

Some 50 people were killed and over 250 were injured when an explosive laden dumper truck struck the main gate of Marriot hotel soon after the Iftar on September 20 and exploded. It was called most destructive suicide attack in the federal capital and the law minister termed it 9/11 of Pakistan.

In another case, the court acquitted four persons of the charges of kidnapping a seven-year-old boy and releasing him only after getting Rs 50, 000 as ransom.

The court found evidences against the accused Ashiq Hussain, Amraiz, Sajid Islam and Nazim Jamshaid inadequate. The case was registered with Murree Police last year on the complaint of kidnapped boy’s father Muhammad Arshad.

The FIR said Umer, 7, was kidnapped from the market where he went to buy medicines and the kidnappers demanded Rs1 million for his safe release but settled for Rs50,000.