Production warrants against Bhatkal, three others

A court here Wednesday issued a production warrant against Indian Mujahideen co-founder Yasin Bhatkal and three others for planning terror strikes in India.

District Judge I.S. Mehta at the Patiala House court fixed April 15 for further hearing while issuing the warrant against Bhatkal, his associate Asadullah Akhtar and two more accused.

Bhatkal and Akhtar are at present in the custody of Maharashtra Police and being quizzed for their alleged role in a terror case there. A third accused, Obaid-ur-Rehman, is in the custody of Karnataka Police.

The National Investigation Agency last month charge-sheeted Bhatkal, Akhtar, Manzar Imam and U. Ahmed for their alleged role in the conspiracy and commission of major terror attacks in various parts of the country.

It was the second charge sheet filed in the case registered Sep 10, 2012 against Indian Mujahideen members for carrying out terrorist activities and conspiracy for waging war against India.

The NIA said Bhatkal with other Indian Mujahideen operatives were involved in major bomb blasts - 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).

In July 2013, the NIA had charge-sheeted five Indian Mujahideen cadres - Mohammad Danish Ansari, Mohammad Aftab Alam, Imran Khan, Syed Maqbool and Obaid-ur-Rehman - under various provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Indian Penal Code for conspiracy to commit offences against the state.