Bihar court allows NIA to take Bhatkal to Delhi

A Bihar court Thursday granted the NIA three-day transit remand of Yasin Bhatkal, Indian Mujahideen co-founder wanted for a string of bombings, and another suspected terrorist Asadullah Akhtar for taking them to Patna and New Delhi.

Chief Judicial Magistrate in Motihari, district headquarters of East Champaran district, accepted the National Investigation Agency (NIA) plea and allowed them to take Bhatkal and Akhtar along with them for the probe, a police official said.

A police official said: "Under unprecedented security, both of them will be taken to Patna, where they will be lodged at an unknown place before being taken to Delhi."

Bihar Police chief Abhayanand told IANS that the arrest of Bhatkal was a big catch. "His arrest will reveal many things about the network of terror and their operations across the country," he said.

Bhatkal and Akhtar were arrested from the India-Nepal border early morning, police said.

A team of Bihar Police along with the NIA arrested Bhatkal and Akhtar, Additional Director General of Police Ravinder Kumar told reporters here.