Four persons, including a lecturer of a government medical college, were arrested on Friday by the Mumbai Crime Branch police on charges of planning and executing a bomb blast in suburban Ghatkopar on December 2.

But it was not clear whether the four were part of the eleven detained [three in Mumbai and eight in Washim] by the police on Thursday.

The four accused were produced in burkha [veil] before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate N M Gosavi who remanded them to police custody till January 3.

They are Mohammed Abdul Mateen Abdul Baseed (28), Sayeed Khwaja Yunus Sayeed Khwaja Ayub (28), Shaikh Mohammed Muzamil Zamil Ahmed (27) and Zaheer Ahmed Bashir Ahmed Shaikh (27).

The magistrate noted that the accused were facing serious allegations of creating terror among the people by causing an explosion and said police custody for a longer period in the case was justified.

The remand application of police did not mention the conspiracy behind the blast. It only said the accused were involved and their custodial interrogation was essential.

One of the accused, Mohammed Abdul Mateen, had been picked up from Aurangabad where he was working as a lecturer in a government medical college. He earlier used to work as a lecturer in the government-run J J Hospital at Mumbai.

The accused have been charged under the Indian Penal Code Section 302 (murder), 120-b (conspiracy), 307 (attempt to murder), 427 (mischief causing damage to property) and 34 (common intention).

The accused are also booked under Section 5 and 9 (b) of the Indian Explosives Act, Section 3 of the Explosive Substances Act and Section 3 of the Public Property Destruction Prevention Act.