KARACHI, Aug 23: The administrative judge of anti-terrorism courts in Karachi on Tuesday remanded four suspects in police custody till Aug 29 in a grenade attack case.

Shahnawaz, Rafiq, Naeem Jan and Mustafa said to associated with the Akram Baloch group, one of the several gangs operating in Lyari, and involved in targeted killings were arrested on the night of Aug 18.

The suspects were produced before Justice Maqbool Baqar of the Sindh High Court, the administrative judge of the ATCs, on Tuesday.

Police informed the court that the suspects were arrested in North Nazimabad and illicit weapons found in their possessions seized.

During initial interrogation, the police said, the suspects confessed that they were involved in the kidnapping and killing of around one dozen of people.

The police requested the court to give their physical remand for further interrogations.

One of the suspects said that he along with his friend was going in a rickshaw for shopping when the police intercepted them near the KDA roundabout in North Nazimabad and arrested them along with the rickshaw driver and a driver of pharmaceutical company. He claimed that they had no criminal record and were carrying weapons due to personal enmity.

The court handed over the suspects to police on physical remand till Aug 29 and directed the investigation officer to produce them on the next hearing.According to the prosecution, PPP leader Zafar Baloch and two others were injured when motorcyclists hurled a grenade at them from moving bikes in a Lyari area on Aug 9. One of the victims later succumbed to his wounds. A case was registered against unidentified men at the Kalakot police station.

According to the police, the four suspects have confessed to have been involved in this case.

Encounter, arms case

A judicial magistrate, meanwhile, extended the physical remand of these suspects in police encounter and illicit weapons cases till Aug 29.

The suspects were booked under Section 13-D of the Arms Ordinance and Sections 353 (criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his official duty) and 324 (attempted murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code.