IM waging war against India: NIA charge sheet

Indian Mujahideen (IM), a banned terrorist organisation, has entered into a larger conspiracy of waging war against the government of India, said a charge sheet filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against IM co-founder Yasin Bhatkal and three others for terror strikes in India.

The 277-page charge sheet revealed the war waged by the outfit is to be effected by terrorist acts like bomb blasts at prominent places and important tourist sites of India and kidnapping of selective targets, including foreigners visiting India.

"The larger aim of the proscribed organisation is to radicalise certain susceptible youth on religious lines with the avowed aim of creating pan-Islamic caliphate and to further induce them to participate in terrorist acts, which are prejudicial to the maintenance of the communal harmony and against the values enshrined in the constitution of India."

In the charge sheet, Bhatkal also revealed the organistaion is receiving financial and material assistance from the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), backed by the Pakistan government which is providing shelter to several senior operatives of the outfit in Karachi and other places in Pakistan.

The NIA charge sheet has said that Bhatkal and other IM operatives were allegedly involved in major bomb blast incidents in Hyderabad (2007), Jaipur (2008), Delhi (2008), Ahmedabad and Surat (2008), German Bakery in Pune (2010), Chinnaswami Stadium, Bangalore (2010), Jama Masjid in Delhi (2010), Sheetlaghat (2010), Mumbai (2011) and Dilsukhnagar in Hyderabad (2013).

Bhatkal is also accused of being instrumental in developing bases in Darbhanga and Samstipur (Bihar), Ranchi, Goa and Mangalore (Karnataka).

He received training in Pakistan for 60 days.

The NIA filed a second charge sheet Feb 20, 2014, against Bhatkal and three others -- Asadullah Akhtar, Manzar Imam and U. Ahmed -- for their alleged role in the conspiracy and participation in major terrorist attacks in different parts of the country.

The first charge sheet was registered Sep 10, 2012, against IM members for carrying out terrorist activities and conspiracy for waging war against the country.

Bhatkal was involved in planning and execution of large number of blasts in which more than 150 people were killed.