Himayat Beg was not part of my group: Yasin Bhatkal

Mirza Himayat Beg, sentenced to death in connection with the German Bakery blast, was not even part of his group that bombed the Pune eatery, Indian Mujahideen (IM) leader Yasin Bhatkal told interrogators. Rajesh Ahuja reports.

Mirza Himayat Beg, sentenced to death in connection with the German Bakery blast, was not even part of his group that bombed the Pune eatery, Indian Mujahideen (IM) leader Yasin Bhatkal told interrogators.



"Yasin has accepted that he planted an improvised explosive device in the German Bakery on February 13, 2010 that killed 17 people. And also that Himayat Beg had no knowledge of the operation," revealed a government source.

Investigators say Yasin's claim were being verified further as it has come to light through independent sources that Beg might not be even in Pune on the day of blast.

"Yasin told interrogators that he along with Qateel Siddiqui went to Pune to plant two IEDs. Yasin managed to plant his IED but Qateel could complete his job. Qateel has narrated similar information at the time of arrest by the Delhi policein 2011," said the source.

Qateel was killed by fellow inmates in a Pune jail in June 2012.

In his monthly press conference, union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Saturday said at this stage, nothing can be done. Yasin's interrogation is at preliminary stage. Unless the whole investigation is done, at this stage we cannot come to any conclusion.

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Ruling out any probe into investigation against Beg, Shinde indicated if he was found innocent, no action will be taken against him.

"Whoever is innocent, no action will be taken against him. But when the action was taken, police might have got something at that time," he said.