Tourists wearing short skirts prompted IM attack on Jama Masjid

Foreigners wearing mini skirts and entering Delhi's Jama Masjid prompted Indian Mujahideen co-founder Yasin Bhaktal and his aides to attack the historic mosque in September 2010, the Delhi police told a court.

In its charge-sheet filed against Bhatkal and his aide Asadullah Akhtar, the special cell of Delhi police said the accused considered wearing of short clothes by foreigners as ‘un-Islamic’ and decided to strike at gate number three of the mosque.

“After the recee was carried out by Bhatkal, it was decided that gate number three was suitable for a shootout, as foreigners were found frequenting the place wearing mini skirts/short clothes," the police said.

Bhatkal and Akhtar were charge-sheeted in connection to the September 19, 2010 terror attack case in which two Taiwanese tourists had sustained bullet injuries. The police said that two bikers had fired at tourists at gate number three and Taiwanese tourists Ku-Ze-Wei and Ko-chiange sustained injuries. A bomb in a stolen car parked in the area had caused a mild explosion, according to the police.

In its charge-sheet, the police said that Yasin had assigned co-accused Quateel Siddiqui, who died under mysterious circumstances in Pune’s Yerawada jail in 2012, and Mohd Adil to fire at the tourists.

It said while Quateel and Adil were on their way to carry out the attack, the carbine, which was in Adil’s possession went off accidentally and Quateel sustained an injury on his hips after which they decided to carry out the strike at Jama Masjid.

It claimed that in pursuance to the conspiracy, the strike was carried out and Quateel and Adil ‘fired indiscriminately’ on foreign tourists getting down from a bus and sped away.

The police charged Bhatkal and Akhtar under various sections of the Indian Penal Code including 307(attempt to murder), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Arms Act.

The police also claimed that Bhatkal was instructed by Pakistan-based handlers to carry out terror attacks just before the beginning of the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010.

Image: Gate number 3 at Jama Masjid in Delhi where terrorists opened fire at tourists.