Relatives of Tube bomber want another post mortem

[Adrian]

Relatives of Tube bomber want another post mortem

By Joshua Rozenberg, Legal Editor
(Filed: 29/10/2005)

Relatives of one of the four London suicide bombers who died on July 7 are seeking a second post-mortem examination on his remains, The Daily Telegraph has learned.

The family of Mohammad Sidique Khan, 30, were told earlier this week that they could collect the body parts, which are stored in 50 separate packets, from Westminster coroner's court.

Mohammad Sidique Khan: thought to be the bombers' ringleader
However, instead of arranging a funeral relatives are understood to want Khan's remains to be kept in storage until an independent pathologist can examine them.

Exhaustive tests on the remains have already been carried out by forensic scientists to determine what type of explosives Khan was carrying and how they were detonated and it is not clear what further information they will now yield.

The family's solicitor could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Khan, the suspected ringleader, carried out the Edgware Road attack. At the temporary mortuary set up after the bombings, his remains were deliberately kept apart from those of his victims.

Remains of the other three men who murdered 52 people on July 7 were released this week by Dr Andrew Reid, the Inner London North coroner.

Shehzad Tanweer, 22, the Aldgate bomber, was buried on Wednesday in Pakistan. The other two bombers were Germaine Lindsay, 19, responsible for the attack at King's Cross, and Hasib Hussain, 18, who blew up a No 30 bus in Tavistock Square.

Dr Reid said yesterday that all investigations by the police, himself and the Westminster coroner, Dr Paul Knapman, had been completed. "The bodies are available for collection by the families on request," he added.

Inquests into the deaths of the four bombers and their 52 victims will resume on a date to be fixed.

In Pakistan yesterday, police were guarding Tanweer's burial site. His remains had been flown to Lahore on Wednesday, accompanied by British security officials and his parents, Parveen Akthar and Tanweer Ahmed.

The remains were then driven 180 miles to Tanweer's home village of Chotian for immediate burial.

After brief prayers, attended by 200 mourners, no speeches or statements by family members were allowed.

"The entire ceremony was very tightly controlled by the security agencies," said a witness. "Afterwards nobody was allowed to speak or offer direct condolences to the family."

Plain-clothes police are now guarding his grave to stop it becoming a shrine for Islamic militants.

Tanweer visited his village last year during a three-month visit to Pakistan in which it is believed he also made contacts with al-Qa'eda and Pakistani extremist groups.


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