German bakery blast case: Trial against Bhatkal commenced, bakery owner cross-examined

On Wednesday, Pune district legal services authority lawyers Yashpal Purohit and CV Ranpise cross examined the bakery owner Smita Dnyaneshwar Kharose

The trial against Yaseen Bhatkal, the co-founder of the banned Indian Mujahideen terror organisation, commenced before a special UAPA court on Wednesday, nine years after the state anti-terrorism squad filed a supplementary chargesheet in the German bakery blast case against him.

Seventeen people including five foreigners were killed ,while 64 others were injured during the bomb blast which took place on February 13, 2010 at German Bakery, located at Koregaon Park. (HT FILE PHOTO)

On Wednesday, Pune district legal services authority lawyers Yashpal Purohit and CV Ranpise cross examined the bakery owner Smita Dnyaneshwar Kharose for thirty minutes before Special Judge S R Navander.

Bhatkal alias Mohammad Ahmad Sidibappa, who is also involved in a series of other blasts in the country, is currently lodged in the high security Tihar Jail in Delhi.

Replying to a number of questions asked by the lawyers, Kharose said that her husband was running the bakery till 1999, and after his death she has been running it. Replying to a specific question about the German bakery blast , she said that she received the information on the phone. She also stated that the bakery has a tradition of self service, customers demanded bakery products at the cash counter and the CCTV was located at the cash counter. Besides, other questions related to the bakery were also asked by the lawyers.

The Maharashtra state anti-terrorism Squad (ATS) had arrested Bhatkal on March 13, 2014 on charges of planting a bomb inside the famous bakery located on the North Main road in the upmarket Koregaon Park area of Pune. Seventeen people including five foreigners were killed ,while 64 others were injured during the bomb blast which took place on February 13, 2010.

The state prosecution had filed 42 affidavits against Bhatkal on Monday in connection with the scheduled trial. The special UAPA court had directed the prosecution to file affidavits of the witnesses and submit a programme by May 30 in connection with the trial against Bhatkal.

Besides Bhatkal, conspirator Mirza Himayat Inayat Baig was arrested in the case in September 2010 from whom 1200 gms of RDX was seized by the ATS.