Senior ATS officials in Mumbai refused to comment on the development. Talha’s father Amir Rashadi Madni, manager of Madarsa Jamaat-ur-Rashad at Azamgarh, however, said: “The Mumbai ATS did not file any objections against the bail application.”

An ATS team had caught Amir Talha, allegedly carrying a revolver, when he was travelling from Azamgarh to Hyderbad where he worked in an IT company. A case was lodged under the Arms Act at the Railway Police Station and a Delhi blast accused, Mohammad Hakim, was named co-accused.

In the application seeking his police remand, the ATS said they suspected Talha to be among those who had escaped from the Batla House in Jamia Nagar during the September 19 encounter.

Rashadi said his son was interrogated about his association with Hakim and other youths in Azamgarh named in the Delhi blast case. “Since he had no criminal links, he got bail,” Rashadi said.

Amir was quizzed at length for over 14 days in remand, but the cops, apparently, failed to find anything against him. Rashadi said the Mumbai ATS did not harass his son.