Kochi, Dec 17 (IANS) The Kerala High Court Thursday refused to grant anticipatory bail to Sufiya Maudany, wife of People's Democratic Party chief Abdul Nazir Maudany, in a bus burning case of 2005. She was arrested shortly after the court's order.

Sufiya was named 10th accused in the case early this month. The first accused in the case is south India chief of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) T. Nazeer, who has been arrested.

After Justice K.T. Sankaran denied Sufiya's anticipatory bail plea, she was arrested from her home in Kochi.

The hearing for the case started at 11.30 a.m.

Director general of prosecution V.G. Govindan Nair said there are enough evidences to point out that Sufiya was closely involved in the case. Counsel for Sufiya denied the allegations.

A Tamil Nadu State Transport bus was burnt in Kalamasserry after reports that Maudany was ill-treated in Coimbatore jail, where he was detained for trial in the 1998 Coimbatore bomb blast case.

He was, however, exonerated in the case in 2007.

Early Thursday morning, supporters crowded Maudany's residence in Kollam. While Maudany stayed back, Sufiya went to their rented home in Kochi.

Maudany also led a prayer meeting, attended by his supporters and close aides, and said whatever be the verdict, it should be accepted without creating any issues.

With reports that Sufiya might surrender before an Aluva court, policemen were also posted there.

Meanwhile, a court in Kollam exonerated five men accused of masterminding a bomb blast in August 1992, in which Maudany lost his right leg.

The accused were let off since Maudany, the main witness in the case, did not appear in the court.