ATS looks to link Samad to Pune blast

Mateen Hafeez | TNN

Mumbai: Investigations into the arrest of Abdul Samad Zarar alias Samad Bhatkal in a nine-month-old case have revealed that Bhatkal has hardly been questioned about the arms haul case for which he has been booked. Sleuths from the anti-terrorism squad (ATS) are mostly focusing their questioning around Pune’s German Bakery blast case.

Sources in the ATS said that he was grilled repeatedly about his whereabouts on February 13, when a powerful bomb went off in the bakery, killing 17. However, Bhatkal’s answers were “not satisfactory’’. The ATS, which arrested Bhatkal for possessing three revolvers, is still not sure what to do with the case. While Union home ministry has announced the “arrest’’ of the prime suspect in the Pune blast, on the other hand, the police are finding it difficult to make a breakthrough. “We are trying to corroborate Bhatkal’s statement with that of other witnesses. However, most of the time he is giving evasive replies. He will be arrested in the Pune blast case only when his role is confirmed,’’ said the source.

Meanwhile, two delegations of Muslim activists met ATS chief Rakesh Maria and complained about the ‘unnecessary harassment’ to the Muslim boys. Maria, in turn, told the activists not to pay heed on media reports and that he had not arrested Bhatkal for the Pune blast. Maria added that his team had arrested Bhatkal in an arms case.

A senior ATS official, trying to calm down the activists, sent an SMS to an activist, stating, “Please don’t believe in rumour mongering and also don’t cast aspersions on the ATS without ascertaining facts. I will never arrest an innocent person in a terror case. We have arrested Samad in the Arms Act case and not in the Pune case. Let the press and others say anything—without definite and cogent proof, no one would be arrested. At least have faith in the ATS till proved otherwise.’’

The Times of India, May 28, 2010

‘Cashier, waiter are star witnesses in Pune blast’

Mateen Hafeez | TNN

Mumbai: Investigators of Pune’s German Bakery blast case said on Wednesday that a cashier and a waiter employed with the eatery would be the star witnesses against suspected bomb planter Abdul Samad Zarar alias Samad Bhatkal. The 23-year-old suspect was arrested soon after he landed at Bajpe airport in Mangalore from Dubai on Monday.

“Bhatkal was not speaking initially but gradually gave in,” an official said. ATS chief Rakesh Maria questioned him on Wednesday. It is also learnt that one more person was rounded up but his identity was not disclosed.

Bhatkal, a commerce graduate, is the younger brother of Ahmed Mohammed Zarar alias Yaseen Bhatkal of the banned outfit Indian Mujahideen. Bhatkal was arrested on charges of supplying imported firearms to three suspected Chhota Shakeel gang members in Mumbai. He had left the country 14 days after the Pune blast and was arrested soon after the UAE authorities deported him.

“German Bakery waiter Paras Rimal and cashier Pravin Pant will be the star witnesses against Bhatkal,’’ an official said.

An RDX bomb went off inside the bakery on February 13, killing 17 people and injuring over 60.

Officials in the security establishment said Bhatkal was identified as the bomb planter 20 days after the blast. “But he had left the country by then. We wanted to arrest the planter first and that’s why his arrest took time. A red-corner notice was issued against him in an arms case as we did not want him or the media to get any hint before his arrest; otherwise he could have fled to any other country,’’ an official said.

‘SAMAD IS INNOCENT’
An uncle of Abdul Samad has claimed that he was busy with preparations of a marriage in the family when the Pune blast happened. “Abdul was with us on February 13. He has nothing to do with blast or arms smuggling,’’ Mohammed Yakub told TOI. TNN

The Times of India, May 27, 2010

ATS had Bhatkal lead in Mar

Suspected image of Abdul Samad Zarar alias Samad Bhatkal

PUNE EXPLOSION

Kept It Secret To Avoid Alerting Accused Who Had Fled India

Mateen Hafeez | TNN

Mumbai: Two Research and Analysis Wing officials were on the same Air India flight that brought Pune German Bakery blast prime suspect Abdul Samad Zarar alias Samad Bhatkal from UAE to Mangalore on Monday.

According to officials in the security establishment, Bhatkal was identified as the planter of the explosives just 20 days after the February 13 blast. “We wanted to nab the planter first and that’s why this arrest took time. Other suspects are already under our surveillance,’’ said an ATS officer. At least five more persons, including two men from Pune, are likely to be arrested in the case soon.

“Bhatkal was first identified as a college student—who had come down to Pune from Bhatkal village in Karnataka—in the CCTV footage. That set us off on his trail,’’ an official said.

Bhatkal, who was arrested by the Maharashtra ATS at Bajpe airport in Mangalore on May 23 morning, was brought to Mumbai and booked in a nine-month old case of supplying imported arms to three suspected gangsters. “He will be shown as an accused in the Pune blast case when the time is right,’’ an ATS official said, adding that the blast was the work of the Indian Mujahideen (IM) and a cellphone was used to trigger the blast.

Bhatkal was produced before a court in Mazgaon on Tuesday and remanded in police custody till June 1. When the court asked him if he wanted a state-appointed lawyer to defend him, he said, “No, I will appoint a lawyer for myself later.’’

Meanwhile, ATS officials credited former ATS chief Krish Pal Raghuvanshi for the initial spadework that led to Bhatkal’s arrest. “The ATS zeroed in on Bhatkal within three weeks of the blast but he had already left the country by then,’’ an officer said, adding that the CCTV footage showing a person keeping the bag had to be “reconstructed’’ in a forensic laboratory because of extensive damages to the footage. An ATS officer said Bhatkal’s phone records were also checked and it proved that he was in Pune on the day of blast. “At least 15 calls were exchanged between Bhatkal and other accused involved in the blast,’’ he added.

“After getting the footage from the blast site, we summoned all those who visited German Bakery eight hours before the blast. We asked where they were sitting and we zeroed in on one seat very close to the blast spot,’’ the official said. “The photo of the man sitting there was sent to various jails and inmates belonging to IM and other groups were asked to identify the person. Pictures were also sent to groups of informers in Goa, Kerala and Karnataka and the first clue we got was that the man in the footage could be a student from a Bhatkal college. The police teams even went to that college and the photo was shown to several staff members and students and they confirmed it was Bhatkal’s. But he had fled the country by then,’’ the officer said.

The Times of India, May 26, 2010

Pune blast suspect Bhatkal’s brother held

Asseem Shaikh, Mihir Tanksale & Mateen Hafeez | TNN

Pune/Mumbai: Abdul Samad Bhatkal, younger brother of Pune German Bakery blast prime suspect and Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative Yaseen Bhatkal, was picked up by the Maharashtra anti-terrorism squad (ATS) on Monday morning, ostensibly for his alleged involvement in a little-known case of preparing for a supari killing.

Despite the official reason for his arrest, senior police officials told TOI that the 25-year-old native of Karnataka was suspected of having planted the bomb at Pune’s German Bakery on February 13.

Bhatkal’s arrest came 102 days after the devastating blast, which killed 17 persons. He was held soon after he landed on Monday at Mangalore’s Bajpe airport, the same airport that saw the devastating mishap on Saturday morning; he was returning from Dubai.

No senior official would come on record linking Bhatkal with the German Bakery blast, but ATS insiders said the arrest followed a lookout notice — issued following the blast — at airports across the country. This is the first high-profile arrest the ATS has made in connection with the blast.

Bhatkal was on board Air India flight XI 812 and first noticed by immigration officials, who alerted the ATS. ATS officers then whisked Bhatkal to an undisclosed location.

Batkal had left for Dubai 12 days after the Pune blast and returned after his visa expired. His father owns several properties in Goa, Mangalore and Dubai.

Officials said Bhatkal’s name cropped up in the case when investigators were probing the closedciruit television camera footage from the German Bakery; a man in his mid-20s was seen walking into the bakery and keeping some bags.

The police suspected it was Bhatkal on the footage and compared the images to the photo on Bhatkal’s passport. The officer told TOI that the person seen in the footage was smartly dressed, wearing a cap and walked into the bakery with two bags; but he later walked out of the bakery with only one bag. Officials said investigators had scanned photographs of nine or 10 suspects from Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Hyderabad before they zeroed in on Bhatkal. The ATS had launched a massive search operation across the country to trace Bhatkal since he left for Dubai, an officer said.

Bhatkal, suspected to be the member of IM, was never on any airport’s look-out notice prior to the Pune blast. His brother, Yaseen, is a wanted accused in the Delhi and Ahmedabad serial bomb blasts. TOI had earlier reported about Yaseen’s suspected role in the Pune blast.


‘He Will Be Booked In A Nine-Month-Old Case’
Abdul Samad Bhatkal completed his schooling from Bhatkal village and studied up to the higher secondary level in Bangalore. His rich businessman father constructed a mosque in Goa.

Bhatkal is believed to be relative of Riyaz Bhatkal, an IM founder member. Bhatkal is suspected to have visited Pakistan during 2008 as well.

A senior ATS official told TOI, “Bhaktal will be booked in the case of last year’s preparation for a supari killing in which three persons were arrested. Bhatkal had supplied them with firearms, which were smuggled from China.’’ The ATS on August 5, 2009, arrested three alleged Chhota Shakeel gang members, Haji Imran (29), Suleiman Mehmood alias Katela (25) and Afzal Shaikh alias Lala (38).

Haji Imran is brother in-law of Aarif Baig who helped gangster Firoz Konkani escape from Mumbai’s J J Hospital.

The Times of India, May 2010

Pune bakery blast: Bhatkal brother held

Asseem Shaikh, Mihir Tanksale & Mateen Hafeez | TNN

Pune/Mumbai: In a significant step in the German Bakery blast case, Abdul Samad Bhatkal, younger brother of prime suspect Yaseen Bhatkal, was picked up by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad on Monday morning.

He was arrested in a littleknown case of contract killing, but senior officials told TOI the 25-year-old was suspected of having planted the bomb at the Pune bakery on February 13 that killed 17 persons.

Abdul Samad was held soon after he landed on Monday at Mangalore’s Bajpe airport, which saw the air crash on Saturday morning, on his return from Dubai.

The Times of India, May 25, 2010

Pune bakery blast: Bhatkal brother held

Asseem Shaikh, Mihir Tanksale & Mateen Hafeez | TNN

Pune/Mumbai: In a significant step in the German Bakery blast case, Abdul Samad Bhatkal, younger brother of prime suspect Yaseen Bhatkal, was picked up by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad on Monday morning.

He was arrested in a littleknown case of contract killing, but senior officials told TOI the 25-year-old was suspected of having planted the bomb at the Pune bakery on February 13 that killed 17 persons.

Abdul Samad was held soon after he landed on Monday at Mangalore’s Bajpe airport, which saw the air crash on Saturday morning, on his return from Dubai.

The Times of India, May 25, 2010

75 army bullets stolen from express train

Mateen Hafeez | TNN

Mumbai: As many as 75 bullets belonging to the military were stolen from the Guwahati Express on Saturday. The theft was discovered after the train arrived at the Kurla terminus.

Eight army jawans, who were taking these bullets to Pune for testing, found that they had gone missing from the luggage compartment. The Kurla government railway police (GRP) registered a case of theft against the unidentified accused late on Saturday.

“Soon after the train (5646) arrived at Kurla Terminus, the army jawans approached the police, stating that 75 bullets kept in three boxes were missing from the luggage compartment,’’ said a police officer from the Kurla railway police. The train had arrived at the station at 10.30 pm. The jawans, said the police, are attached to the Assam regiment of the army.

“These jawans had kept the boxes in the luggage compartment while they sat in the general bogies. They should not have done this since there was no one to take care of such an important consignment,’’ said an officer, adding that other things kept with the stolen boxes were fuse wires and signal wires, but only bullets were stolen. “We are worried as to how boxes containing bullets were stolen. The boxes had no mark or signature and nobody knew which box contained what. We are recording the statements of the jawans. We will soon reach a conclusion,’’ the officer said.

The policemen opined that the theft must have taken place somewhere near Itarsi railway station in Madhya Pradesh where the train halted for a long time. Investigators say that they are sure the theft did not take place in Mumbai. “We can’t understand why the boxes containing sensitive stuff were kept in the luggage compartment. Had it been kept along with the jawans’ belongings, theft could not have taken place,’’ the officer said, adding “During the long journey, the jawans did not go to the luggage compartment to check if the boxes were kept properly.’’

“We have informed all railway stations where the train halted and also flashed wireless messages about the theft. The bullets were being taken for testing in Pune along with other stuff,’’ the officer stated.

The Times of India, May 24, 2010