German Bakery case: Convict moves HC for reinvestigation

In the backdrop of arrest of Yasin Bhatkal, alleged founder of Indian Mujahideen, condemned convict in German Bakery blast case, Himayat Baig has approached the Bombay high court seeking reinvestigation into his case by a neutral agency or a court-appointed Special Investigation Team.

An application was moved by Baig's lawyer Mehmood Parcha before the high court seeking a fresh probe claiming that he had not been given a fair chance and also alleged that elite Anti-Terrorism Squad of the Maharashtra police had even ensured hijacking of trial by manipulating a defence lawyer.

"My application is based on the letter written by my client to judges of the high court where he says that the defence lawyer in Pune was thrusted upon him by the ATS team and that he had never seen the chargesheet. We want a fresh investigation by a court-appointed SIT or a neutral agency so that actual truth comes out," says Parcha. The application will come before the court on September 23.

The lawyer also went ahead to say that the murder of suspected Indian Mujahideen operative Qateel Siddiqqui also needs a proper investigation. "On the face of it, it seems that this is a simple murder that took place in Yerwada jail of Pune, but if one analyses it, the beneficiary of Siddiqui's murder are the top brass of the Maharashtra ATS who had the motive of hiding the tracks of false implication of Baig," the lawyer alleged.

This application will also come for hearing on September 23.

Baig was sentenced to death by a special court in Pune earlier this year for being involved in German Bakery blast of February 13, 2010 that left 17 people including foreigners dead.

During the questioning of Bhatkal, alleged mastermind of the German bakery blast, the name of Baig did not come up as a planter of explosive device or being a part of conspiracy.

The Maharashtra ATS, which is probing various terror related cases and has always been reluctant for handing them over to the National Investigation Agency, was eagerly waiting to seek custody of Bhatkal but the move has been spurned as he is being exclusively questioned by the Intelligence Bureau and RAW sleuths to break the backbone of terror network.

Bhatkal, who is considered a prize catch for the security agencies, is expected to give an insight into various terror related cases including the Mumbai serial train blast, Jama Masjid shootout and others.

According to official sources, already one plan of terrorists has been scuttled on the basis of his interrogation when security agencies raided a house in Mangalore and found 100 watches, some explosive material and wires.

This was being used by suspected Indian Mujahideen terrorists to carry out terror activities in various parts of the country, they said.

Image: Police at the site of the German Bakery blast in Pune