Jama Masjid blast: Court orders framing of charges against Yasin Bhatkal, nine others

A Delhi court on Tuesday ordered framing of charges against Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative Yasin Bhatkal and nine others in the 2010 Jama Masjid blast case.

Stating that there was prima facie evidence against Bhatkal, his aide Asadullah Akhtar and eight other IM operatives, the court posted the matter for August 29, when the charges would formally be framed against them.

The court, however, discharged three accused — Ismail Affaque, Abdus Saboor and Riyaz Ahmad Sayeedi — on the ground that it didn’t find any evidence against them.

Proceeding against one accused, Modh Qateel Siddiqui, was dropped as he is dead.

On September 19, 2010, two bikers had fired upon tourists at the gate of Jama Masjid in Old Delhi. Two Taiwanese sustained bullet injuries. Also, there was a mild explosion from a bomb fitted in an abandoned car left in that area.

Police had claimed that Bhatkal had prepared a pressure cooker improvised explosive device, which was planted in the car parked outside the mosque.

The blast had occurred just before the 2010 Commonwealth Games, raising security concerns.

Two cases were registered against IM members, including module co-founder Yasin Bhatkal, its chief Riyaz Bhatkal and Iqbal Bhatkal, for attempt to murder, voluntarily causing hurt and criminal conspiracy and under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Arms Act.

Riyaz and Iqbal Bhatkal are on the run.

Yasin Bhatkal, arrested along with Akhtar from the India-Nepal border, in August 2013, topped the Delhi Police list of 15 most wanted terrorists involved in bombings across the country.

In December 2016, a National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court had awarded death sentence to Bhatkal and four others for orchestrating Dilsukhnagar (Hyderabad) twin blasts that had killed 19 people and injured 130. He was shifted to high security Tihar Jail complex in connection with cases against him in Delhi.

Snehal Tripathi