Hyderabad blasts case: Indian Mujahideen boss Yasin Bhatkal, 4 others get first conviction

Yasin Bhatkal, co-founder of banned Indian Mujahideen was found guilty by a special court of the National Investigation Agency on Tuesday.

Hyderabad, Dec 13: IM co-founder Yasin Bhatkal was handed out his first conviction by a special court in connection with the Dilsukhnagar blasts on Tuesday. Bhatkal was found guilty by a special court of the National Investigation Agency. The conviction was handed out under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act of 1967 and the Indian Penal Code.

The court had framed charges against Bhatkal, Pakistani national Zia-ur-Rahman alias Waqas, Asadullah Akhtar alias Haddi, Tahaseen Akhtar alias Monu and Aijaz Sheikh, who are at present lodged in the Cherlapally Prison. The court however split up the case against Riyaz Bhatkal, one of the founders of the outfit as he is absconding.

The court, while delivering the verdict said that the prosecution has managed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the accused are guilty. The court said that it would deliver the verdict on the quantum of the sentence on December 19. The NIA will seek a death penalty for Yasin Bhatkal and the others convicted by the court.

Apart from Yasin, four others were also convicted by the court.

Eighteen people were killed and 131 injured in two deadly explosions near Konark and Venkatadiri theatres in Dilsukhnagar, a crowded shopping area in Bengaluru, on February 21, 2013.

During the course of the arguments, the NIA pointed out that the IM was banned on June 22, 2009. The IM has been responsible for the November 2007 blasts in courts of Varanasi, Faizabad and Lucknow, the Varanasi blast of July 11, 2006, the Mumbai serial blasts of July 11, 2006 and the twin blasts in Hyderabad of August 25, 2007.

The NIA added that the outfit was also behind the Jaipur blast of May 13, 2008, the Ahmedabad serial blasts of July 26, 2008, the September 13, 2008 serial blasts in Delhi, Pune's German Bakery blast in February 2010, the Chinnaswami Stadium blast in Bengaluru on April 17, 2010 and the Mumbai serial blasts of July 13, 2011 were also allegedly carried out by IM.

OneIndia News