The Bangalore Crime Branch has stepped up the trail of Yaseen Bhatkal, the man they believe, is behind the blasts that rocked the Chinnaswamy stadium during the Indian Premier League.
Yaseen Bhatkal, a distant relative of Indian Mujhahideen founder Riyaz Bhatkal, has been named the mastermind of the Pune blast by Maharashtra's Anti-Terrorism Squad. A blast in German bakery, one of the city's most popular eateries, had left 17 people dead and many more injured on February 13. Yaseen hails from the coastal town of Bhatkal in Karnataka and has been involved in terror activities since 1998, say sources in the Intelligence Bureau.
With the arrest of six suspected Indian Mujahideen men the Delhi police have claimed a breakthrough in three terror cases -- the German Bakery blast in Pune, the Jama Masjid shootout and blast in the capital and the Chinnaswamy stadium blasts in Bengaluru.
People in his hometown claim that Ahmed Siddibappa, alias Yaseen, had joined the Taliban in Afghanistan and had died five years ago. The police, however, are certain that the man is responsible for several terror attacks in India. Vicky Nanjappa reports.
A largely behind-the-scene operative, Yaseen Bhatkal is today on the watch list of the Interpol with a red corner alert issued against him.
The interrogation of Pune blast suspect Abdul Sammad Bhatkal is providing investigating agencies crucial clues about his brother and key Indian Mujahideen operative Yaseen Bhatkal.Sammad, who was arrested at the Mangalore airport on Monday, is being interrogated by teams from the Intelligence Bureau and the Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad.Yaseen Bhatkal was at the forefront of orchestrating the Pune blast at German bakery on February 13.
Terror outfit Indian Mujahideen is planning to abduct Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for release of its key member Yaseen Bhatkal who was arrested from Indo-Nepal border on August 27 last year, police sources claimed on Sunday.
Senior IPS officer Vivek Srivastava was on Wednesday appointed as Inspector General in the elite Special Protection Group which guards Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other VVIPs, including the Gandhi family.
The manner in which the probe on 26/11 attacks and Pune blast suspect Abdul Sammad is progressing, gives one the indication that he is being used just as a bait to reach Yaseen Bhatkal -- Sammad's step-brother -- and the prime accused in the Pune blast. Reports Vicky Nanjappa:
Even as Pune blast accused Abdul Sammad, who was granted bail by a Mumbai sessions court on June 15, awaits his release from a jail in Mumbai, the Bengaluru police have geared up to question him.
The National Investigation Agency on Monday arrested two persons from Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh in connection with the blasts outside the rally of BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on October 27.
Continuing with the leads provided by the arrested people, National Investigation Agency on Tuesday arrested two more persons from Uttar Pradesh in connection with the blasts outside the rally of the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on October 7.
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