Yasin Bhatkal among principal conspirators in various terror attacks in India: NIA

NEW DELHI: Indian Mujahideen ( IM) co-founder Yasin Bhatkal, arrested from the Indo-Nepal border, was among the "principal conspirators" and "executors" of various terror attacks in India, according to National Investigation Agency ( NIA).

30-year-old Yasin, who was earlier associated with banned outfit Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), entered into a conspiracy with others to wage war against India and formed IM in 2003 when "certain ultra radicalised youth segregated themselves from SIMI" after "communal mobilisation", NIA said in its charge sheet filed in a Delhi court last month.

The charge sheet was filed in July against five suspected operatives of IM for their alleged involvement in hatching a conspiracy to carry out terror strikes in the country.

It said IM was formed in the aftermath of "communal mobilisation caused due to factors like the Babri Masjid demolition incident (1992) and the riots in Gujarat after the Godhra incident (2002)."

It said Yasin, along with Riyaz Bhatkal and Iqbal Bhatkal, decided to "form a new terrorist organisation called the IM to carry out terrorist attacks in different parts of India with a view to terrorising the Indian citizens, especially the majority community..."

NIA also said Yasin was "instrumental" in making efforts to motivate young boys on the path of 'jehad' to indoctrinate them and gradually induct them into IM, while staying in his home town of Bhatkal in Karnataka.

It said the identity of some IM operatives was first disclosed after the Batla House encounter here on September 19, 2008 and Yasin was looking for a safe hideout after the incident.

"Yasin Bhatkal was trying to escape the clutches of law in the wake of exposure of identities of the operatives of the IM after the Batla House encounter...," NIA said, adding that after the encounter, Yasin regularly met other conspirators at his hideout in Shaheen Bagh here.