13/7: IM chief Yasin Bhatkal planted bomb at Dadar, says aide

The bomb had exploded atop a bus stop in Dadar.

The main objective of Bhatkal behind hatching the conspiracy and planting the bomb was to trigger communal conflagration in Mumbai, IM member Nadeem Sheikh said in his 25-page confession.

The confession was recorded before a magistrate's court in March under section 164 of CrPC (recording of confessions and statements) and opened last week, sources said.

Twenty-seven people were killed and 127 injured when three near-simultaneous explosions ripped through Dadar, Zaveri Bazaar and Opera House on July 13 evening.

According to Sheikh, the conspiracy to trigger blasts was hatched in February 2011 after Bhatkal arrived in the city and introduced him to planters of the bombs at Opera House and Zaveri Bazar, Waqas and Tabrez respectively.

 

Sheikh said Bhatkal along with Naquee Ahmed, Waqas, Tabrez, and a person identified only as Munnabhai worked out the details of the plan in a secret meeting held on July 7.

It was after this meeting that Bhatkal asked Ahmed and Munnabhai to steal two-wheelers and hand them over to Waqas and Tabrez who planted the bombs, Sheikh said in his statement.

The locations were chosen after much deliberation so that the planters can not be identified.