A Spanish judge has charged three Moroccans for mass killings in the March 11 bombings in Madrid, British daily The Times quoted a court official as saying on Friday.
The judge also ordered them and two Indian suspects, Vinay Kohli and Suresh Kumar, to be held incommunicado, the official said.
| |||||||||||
The charges were filed as an Algerian suspect arrested on Tuesday in the northern Basque region was released without charge.
The Moroccans were charged with 190 killings, 1,400 attempted killings, and membership in an armed group, said the official. Although 202 people died, the 190 relates to the number of bodies that have been identified.
The key suspect is Jamal Zougam, a Moroccan with alleged ties to Al-Qaeda suspects.
The paper quoted Spanish Interior Ministry Judge Juan del Olmo's as saying that the five can be held for two years in jail while investigators try to gather enough evidence to take them to trial.
After that period, the judge could order them held for two more years for further investigation or decide there is enough evidence for formal indictments and trial.
For the time being, the five cannot meet anyone except lawyers and family members.
More from rediff