Being treated worse than animal in Tihar: Bhatkal

Indian Mujahideen (IM) co-founder Yasin Bhatkal, arrested for his alleged involvement in various terror strikes across India, on Monday claimed before a court here that he is being treated "worse than an animal" in Tihar Jail and not provided proper food in the holy month of Ramzan.

Indian Mujahideen (IM) co-founder Yasin Bhatkal, arrested for his alleged involvement in various terror strikes across India, on Monday claimed before a court here that he is being treated "worse than an animal" in Tihar Jail and not provided proper food in the holy month of Ramzan.

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Bhatkal, who was produced before the court on Monday, claimed this before Additional Sessions Judge Raj Kapoor who directed Tihar Jail authorities to file a report on it on July 23.

In his application, Bhatkal alleged that he is presently lodged in Jail No.2 of the high security prison.

He claimed that he "has been kept in solitary confinement and is not allowed to move out from his cell and has not seen the sunlight except during his transportation for the purpose of production before the court." "The applicant (Bhatkal) is observing fast as this is the holy month of Ramzan and he is not provided timely and proper food," the application, filed through advocate M S Khan, said.

Bhatkal also claimed that he was being "treated even worse than an animal" and he was not having access to fresh air.

Bhatkal and his aide Asadullah Akhtar were arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) from Indo-Nepal border on the night of August 28, last year. They were wanted for their alleged roles in a string of terror attacks in the country.

According to the probe agencies, 30-year-old Bhatkal was earlier associated with banned outfit Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and had played a key role in several terror strikes in the country.