Pune ATS visits Bhatkal to investigate German Bakery blast case

A team of the Pune Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) visited Bhatkal in Karnataka to investigate the German Bakery blast case. Two of the main accused in the blast, Riyaz Bhatkal and Iqbal, the operatives of Indian Mujahideen, are natives of Bhatkal.

Bhatkal (Karnataka)A team of the Pune Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) on Wednesday visited Bhatkal in Karnataka to investigate the German Bakery blast case. Two of the main accused in the blast, Riyaz Bhatkal and Iqbal are natives of Bhatkal. According to the officials, relatives of Riyaz and Iqbal, who run a bakery in Bhatkal were questioned in connection with the case.

Riyaz Bhatkal and Iqbal Bhatkal, operatives of Indian Mujahideen, were born and raised in Mumbai. However, some of their relatives reside in Bhatkal and both spend some of the years there.

On February 13, 2010, a bomb exploded at the German Bakery in Pune's Koregaon Park killing 17 people. Nine people were killed instantly. The rest of the victims succumbed to their injuries a few days later, while undergoing treatment.

READ:One more arrested in Kasba fake vaccination case

One of the accused Yasin, the alleged co-founder of the terror organisation Indian Mujahideen, wanted in over 40 terror cases, was arrested from the Indo-Nepal border in 2013 by NIA. Charges were framed against him under various sections of the IPC, Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Yasin Bhatkal was earlier convicted in the 2013 Hyderabad twin blasts case and awarded the death penalty by a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in July 2018.