New Delhi: A local Delhi court has framed charges against Yasin Bhatkal, Indian Mujahideen co-founder along with 10 others in a case, which accused them of attracting youth to join their outfit. The outfit stands outlawed in the country.
Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Shailender Malik of the Patiala House Courts charged Bhatkal under Sections 18, 18A, 18B, 21, 38(2), 39(2), 40(2) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UAPA] and Sections 121 (waging, or attempting to wage war against India), and 122 (collecting arms with an intention to wage war against India) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Bar and Bench reported.
Livemint reported that the court’s order on March 31 had noted that, prima facie, the IM’s members had hatched a criminal conspiracy to carry out terrorist activities in India
“Digital data extracted from devices regarding the making of explosives, IEDs clearly show that Yasin Bhatkal was involved not only in a larger conspiracy for committing terrorist activities but also instrumental in preparing IEDs and explosives,” the court said.
Bar and Bench quoted the court’s observation thus: “Above referred statements of witnesses, clearly give specific accusation attributable to A-6 being involved continuously since beginning in a larger conspiracy of committing different terrorist activities to create terror and destabilize the society as a whole.”
The court said there were plots of planting a nuclear bomb in Surat. “A chat between A-6 and A-10 reflect IM planning for planting a nuclear bomb in Surat town and evacuating Muslims from Surat town before executing such terrorist act,” the order reads.
The case was registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2012. It had accused Bhatkal and others of entering into a “criminal conspiracy to wage war against India.”
The NIA had also alleged that the agency had done “large-scale recruitments” for carrying out terror activities in various parts of India. About Bhatkal it had claimed that he was allegedly involved in blasts carried out in Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Delhi’s Sarojini Nagar, Pune’s German bakery and at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium.