Author: Shalini Narayan
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: December 2, 2011
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/to-get-recruits-yasin-used-videos-of-saddam-death/883140/0
Yasin Bhatkal, said to be the Indian Mujahideen's
key operative in India, is not highly educated but was skilful at influencing
potential recruits in Bhatkal, Karnataka, using means ranging from videos
and newspaper clippings of Saddam Hussein's death to taqrir (speeches) in
Urdu, the police said.
They said Yasin, a native of Bhatkal like
Iqbal and Riyaz, the "Bhatkal brothers", had picked up their principle
of trying to influence and recruit the young.
Yasin, now carrying a reward of Rs 15 lakh,
is well-versed in Urdu theology and police said he held religious meetings
to mobilise students and showed them clippings of alleged atrocities against
Muslims the world over. One of those he allegedly influenced, and who has
now been arrested, is Abdur Rahman, 19, a first year engineering student.
Yasin is wanted in the Jama Masjid attack,
the Pune German Bakery blast and the Chinnaswamy Stadium blast in Bangalore.
Six members of his group have been arrested and he is one of the six at large.
Yasin was allegedly the centre of the network
and created several smaller groups, ensuring that members of one didn't know
those in another. Police said Nepal was their transit point. Abdul Subhan
Qureshi alias Tauqeer alias Zakir, the alleged mastermind behind the 2008
serial blasts, escaped from Nepal; Mohd Adil alias Ajmal, a native of Karachi,
entered India via Nepal; the Bhatkal brothers too escaped from Nepal, police
said.
Besides taking in recruits, they said, Yasin
also provided arms and ammunition, prepared bombs and made his aides do a
recce of targeted areas before planning an attack.
He uses various names, grew a beard that he
since shaven off, has curls, and likes jeans and T-shirts, an officer said.
Most of the six members arrested are new recruits,
an exception being Mohd Irshad Khan whose role in various attacks are being
investigated. Police said Yasin masterminded the attack on foreigners at the
Jama Masjid on September 19, 2010.
"Mohd Adil was riding the bike while
Siddiqi opened fire. However, he accidentally shot at Mohd Adil, injuring
him in the hip, because of which they fled," said an officer.
