Yasin Bhatkal sent to 12-day NIA custody

Bhatkal was produced before the Patiala House Court on Friday

A Delhi Court on Friday sent Indian Mujahideen (IM) co-founder Yasin Bhatkal to the custody of National Investigation Agency (NIA) for 12 days.

Bhatkal, who was arrested from the Indo-Nepal border earlier on Wednesday night, was produced before the Patiala House Court here soon after being brought to the national capital in a special plane.

Bhatkal was produced before a Motihari Court in north Bihar on Wednesday evening.

Minister of State for Home R.P.N. Singh today said that the government will continue to pursue all persons who have committed acts of terrorism against India.

Singh, who was talking to media outside the Parliament here, said whatever leads emerge from Bhatkal's interrogation would be of great help.

'They will give the authorities clues as to the working of the terrorist modules in the country. The government is committed to arrest all terrorists,' he said.

According to reports, the police officials from Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra and Karnataka have lined up to interrogate him about terrors attacks in their states.

Bhatkal, 30, was wanted for his role in a number of terror attacks in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Pune, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Surat.

Bhatkal, who hails from Karnataka, was wanted in the German Bakery bomb blast of February 13, 2010, in Pune that left 17 people dead.

Bhatkal's arrest is the second major breakthrough for Indian agencies after the arrest of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) bomb expert Abdul Karim Tunda on August 16.