Islamabad, Feb. 15 (PTI): Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi and five other Mumbai attack suspects, who were detained in Pakistan, have been remanded in the custody of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

Anti-terror court judge Sakhi Mohammed Kahut handed the suspects to the FIA, which carried out the terror probe, for 14 days after they were produced before him at an undisclosed location yesterday, media reports said.

The suspects include Lashkar-e-Toiba operations commander Lakhvi, communications expert Zarar Shah and Hamad Amin Sadiq, described by Pakistani officials as the “main operator” behind the strike.

They have been booked for planning, financing and abetting the 26/11 attacks.

There was confusion over the number of suspects remanded in the FIA’s custody. The Geo News channel said six were handed over while the Dawn News channel reported the FIA was granted “physical remand” of eight suspects.

Announcing the filing of charges against nine suspects on Thursday, Rehman Malik, adviser to the Prime Minister, said Pakistani authorities had detained six accused.

Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist captured during the Mumbai attacks, was also named among the suspects. Malik said two more suspects had been identified but were at large.

Western diplomatic sources said Lakhvi, Shah and Sadiq were among the suspects being held by Pakistani security agencies. They had earlier been questioned by the ISI.

Lakhvi and Shah were held during raids by the Pakistan army on Lashkar facilities near Muzaffarabad in early December 2008.

The government has reportedly decided to try the accused in a special anti-terror court and the proceedings would be recorded on camera. Reports suggested the trial could be held at the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.

The decision is believed to have been taken considering the close links that earlier existed between the Lashkar and the Pakistani security establishment. Any disclosures about such links by the detained Lashkar suspects in an open court could prove embarrassing for the establishment, observers said.

The authorities would not reveal the whereabouts of the suspects. Reporters waited in vain at an anti-terrorism court where they were expected to be produced.