JOIN USA special team of City police lead by Additional Commissioner (Crime) Pronab Mohanty left for New Delhi on Wednesday to interrogate Indian Mujahideen (IM) co-founder Yasin Bhatkal, who was arrested recently.
The team comprises officers B N Nyamegouda, investigation officer (IO) in the Chinnaswamy stadium blast case of 2010 in which Bhatkal has been charge-sheeted; K N Jitendranath, IO in the terror module case of 2012; H M Omkaraiah, IO in the Malleswaram bomb blast case of 2013; and two other senior officials.
However, no schedule has been fixed for the Karnataka police to question Bhatkal. One of the members of the team said they will wait for their turn to get access to Bhatkal once they reach New Delhi. Bhatkal is presently in the custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
In the past one week, the special team has been brainstormed on the intelligence inputs on IM and evidence that they have against Bhatkal and his associates. A detailed questionnaire has been prepared by the special team to grill Bhatkal.
Though Bhatkal stands charge sheeted only in the Chinnaswamy Stadium bomb blast case, he is suspected to be deeply involved in the terror network in the State. A senior official remarked: “Bhatkal might turn out to be the key to unlocking hidden chambers of the terror apparatus in the State.”
A senior official investigating the Malleswaram case said that the role of IM is also being investigated in the incident.