Bhatkal admits involvement in February Hyderabad blasts

/Patna, Sept 2: Arrested Indian Mujahideen (IM) co-founder

is alleged to have told interrogators that he received instructions from a Pakistani handler to carry out blast in

in February this year, officials privy to his questioning said on Sunday.

Thirty-year-old Yasin alis Syed Mohammed Ahmed Zarar Siddibapa reportedly told the interrogators that he had supplied explosive materials to a person for planting them at various locations in Dilsukhnagar near Cyberabad, adjacent to Hyderabad city, the officials claimed.

Yasin, who is branded as the face of modern day terrorism, has told the sleuths of Intelligence Bureau during questioning that he had received instructions from Pakistani handler to target Cyberabad so that the foreign companies refrain from expanding their business in India, they said.

Two blasts rattled the Dilsukhnagar on February 21 this year killing 17 people and injuring over 100.

About the Pune German Bakery blast on February 13, 2010, that had left 17 people dead including four foreigners, Yasin, according to the claims of his interrogators, said that he had planted the bomb in the shop which was frequented by many visitors.

The reason was to cause maximum damage and therefore the explosive material was placed near gas cylinders, Yasin is claimed to have told interrogators.

A Pune court had on April 18, this year awarded death sentence to IM operative Himayat Baig in connection with the case. His lawyer A Rahman had said that though they respected the verdict, they would appeal against it in the Bombay high court.

Yasin reportedly said that he received instructions from a Pakistani handler to carry out the blasts

Yasin also gave details about his cousin Iqbal and Riyaz Bhatkal and said that they had not been coming to India. He said that Iqbal had visited Nepal earlier this year and was using satellite phone to talk too his masters in Pakistan. Wanted in around 40 blast cases and carrying a reward of Rs.35 lakh, Yasin was arrested from India-Nepal border on August 28.

BJP slams JD(U) govt over Bhatkal

The BJP slammed the Bihar government on Sunday for neither lodging an FIR against Bhatkal, despite the fact that he was running a terror network in the state nor questioning him when he was finally nabbed last week.

"It begs for explanation as to why the JD(U) government did not book Bhatkal under relevant provisions of the law for running terror network in Bihar nor questioning him when he was finally arrested from Raxaul near India-Nepal border last week," the state unit BJP spokesperson Vinodanand Jha said in a statement.

PTI