2008 blasts: Police file two charge sheets against top IM men

Delhi Police today chargesheeted 29 suspected top Indian Mujahideen (IM) operatives, including its co-founders Yasin Bhatkal, Riyaz Bhatkal and Iqbal Bhatkal, in two cases of September 13, 2008 serial blasts here, saying they waged war against India by carrying out these terror attacks.

The Special Cell of Delhi Police filed two separate final reports before the court here in which these 29 accused were chargesheeted for various offences punishable under IPC, the Explosive Substances Act, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Information Technology Act.

Besides the Bhatkals, wanted top IM operatives, including Aamir Raza Khan, Abu Al-Qama, Dr Shahnawaj and Mirza Shadab Beg, were also named as accused in both the charge sheets filed before Additional Sessions Judge Daya Prakash, who fixed it for consideration on April 19.

Out of the 29 accused, 16 accused, including Yasin Bhatkal and his close aide Asadullah Akhtar, have been arrested by the probe agencies while 11 others are still absconding.

Two of the chargesheteed accused -- Mohd Atif Ameen and Mohd Sajid -- were shot dead by the special cell in the September 19, 2008 Batla House encounter. This is the sixth charge sheet filed by the special cell in connection with the 2008 serial blasts that had claimed 26 lives and left 135 people injured.

The two separate charge sheets were filed in connection with the blasts at Karol Bagh, which claimed 21 lives and left 64 injured, and the twin explosions at Greater Kailash here. Nine people were injured in the twin blasts at M-block market in Greater Kailash-I.

"From the investigation conducted so far, it is revealed that accused Yasin Bhatkal and Asadullah Akhtar....along with other arrested/wanted members of banned terrorist outfit IM were part of conspiracy for blasts in Delhi on September 13, 2008 at various places including at Gaffar Market, Karol Bagh....resulted in waging war against the nation, carrying out unlawful activities as terrorist group in Delhi....," it said.

Detailing the roles of the accused, the special cell said that Yasin Bhatkal had disclosed that in last week of August 2008, Riyaz Bhatkal had asked him to make "boat-type explosive box" for the serial blasts and accordingly, he purchased nails and aluminium sheets from a hardware shop at Udupi in Karnataka.

It also claimed that Yasin has told the police that Riyaz had given him gelatine rods to prepare the explosives.

The police said during the probe, Yasin had taken them to a rented farm house in Chikmagalur in Karnataka where he had prepared explosives for carrying out the blasts in Delhi on September 13, 2008.

Regarding Asadullah Akhtar, it said during interrogation of some of the arrested accused persons, it was revealed that Akhtar had purchased cycle ball bearings from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh and he had brought them to Delhi for the blasts.

It also said that in August 2008, Akhtar and some other accused, including Atif Ameen, came to Delhi and took a flat on rent in Batla House.

"As per planning, the bombs were prepared with the help of above cycle ball bearings and planted at various places in Delhi on September 13, 2008 resulted in about 26 casualities and 135 injuries. The e-mail of Delhi blasts was sent by their (IM) media group of Pune, Maharashtra led by Mohd Mansoor Ashgar Peerbhoy (arrested accused) and others," it said.

It also said as per intercepted telephonic conversations, Akhtar was in touch with Mohd Atif Ameen and according to the forensic reports, Akhtar's voice sample had matched with it.

Yasin Bhatkal and Asadullah Akhtar were arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) from Indo-Nepal border on the night of August 28, last year.

The special cell had yesterday informed the court here in a separate case that they are interrogating some of the top arrested IM operatives, including Tehsin Akhtar and Waqas, to know about the whereabouts of Riyal Bhatkal. It had also apprised the court that on the basis of their interrogation, it is pursuing Riyaz and others.

13 suspected members of IM are facing trial in the cases of September 2008 Delhi serial blasts that had claimed 26 lives and left 135 people injured.

Five cases were lodged in connection with the blasts at Gaffar Market in Karol Bagh, Barakhamba Road in Connaught Place, M-Block Market in Greater Kailash and recovery of a bomb near India Gate.

All the five cases were clubbed by the trial court for the purpose of framing of charges and trial, saying, "They arise from the series of the same transaction."

The 13 accused facing trial in the case are Mohd Shakeel, Mohd Saif, Zeeshan Ahmed, Zia-ur-Rehman, Saquib Nisar, Mohd Sadique, Kayamuddin Kapadia, Mohd Hakim, Mohd Mansoor Ashgar Peerbhoy, Mubin Kadar Sheikh, Asif Bashiruddin, Mohd Akbar Ismail Chaudhary and Shahzad Ahmed.

Their trial is going on and over 200 prosecution witnesses have been examined till date.