Final chargesheet against Bhatkal in Jama Masjid case

The special cell of Delhi Police filed its final chargesheet against Indian Mujahideen (IM) co-founder Yasin Bhatkal and his aide Asadullah Akhtar in connection with the terror attacks that took place outside the Jama Masjid in September 2010.

The special cell of Delhi Police filed its final chargesheet against Indian Mujahideen (IM) co-founder Yasin Bhatkal and his aide Asadullah Akhtar in connection with the terror attacks that took place outside the Jama Masjid in September 2010.

Yasin-Bhatkal-L-the-Indian-Mujahideen-mastermind-and-a-key-suspect-in-several-terror-blasts-since-2008-and-his-aide-Asadullah-Akhtar-alias-Haddi-PTI-Photo

The court said that the chargesheet will be scrutinised on April 30.

In its report filed before additional sessions judge Daya Prakash, the police claimed that Bhatkal had Pakistani handlers who had given him instructions to carry out terror attacks just before the Commonwealth Games — which were held in October 2010.

Investigations revealed that Bhatkal had procured one carbine and a pistol. He had planned to use these to target foreign nationals near German Bakery in Paharganj in south Delhi, the police said.

The plan fell apart when Qateel Siddiqui — who died in Pune’s Yerawada Jail in 2012 — accidentally hurt himself because the carbine misfired.

According to the police after the plan failed, the Pakistan-based IM leaders sent Zia-ur-Rahman, who was recently arrested, and Tabrez - both Pakistani nationals and IM operatives - to help carry out the terror strike.

Following this, Yasin Bhatkal planned the terror strike at Jama Masjid, in which IM operatives rode a stolen motorcycle till gate number 3 of the mosque and opened fire at a group of tourists alighting from a bus nearby. Two Taiwanese nationals were injured.

Bhatkal had parked a car with a bomb inside, nearby. He had also planted a pressure cooker IED in a car outside the Jama Masjid and a mild explosion had occurred after the round of firing, the police said.