New Delhi, July 7 -- The Delhi High Court on Monday refused to grant bail to alleged Indian Mujahideen media cell head Mansoor Asghar Peerbhoy in the 2008 Delhi serial bomb blasts case, holding that the seriousness of the allegations, the prima facie material against him and the advanced stage of the trial outweighed his prolonged incarceration of nearly 17 years as an undertrial.

The HC also directed the trial court to conclude the trial within eight months, in line with the Supreme Court's earlier directions.

A Division Bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh and Justice Madhu Jain dismissed Peerbhoy's appeal challenging the rejection of his third bail application by the trial court.

The High Court clarified that its observations were only...