Sentence won't affect Bhatkal's pending trials

Mumbai: A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Hyderabad on Monday sentenced Yasin Bhatkal, a senior operative of terror outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM) to death. However, the sentencing will not affect the other cases pending against him in Mumbai and other courts in Maharashtra. Bhatkal is facing charges of coordinating triple bomb blasts of July 13, 2012 in Mumbai. The blasts had taken place at Opera House, Zaveri Bazar and at a bus stop in Dadar (west) in which 27 people had died and 130 others were injured. Bhatkal is also alleged to have played important role in Pune’s German Bakery blast on February 13, 2010 in which 17 people had died and 58 others including some foreigners were injured.

The blast trial in pending in Mumbai’s session court, however, since he was wanted in other terror related cases in other states he was sent to Hyderabad. The charges against him in the 13/7 Mumbai blasts case could not be framed since he was shifted to Hyderabad.

Advocate Vinod More, who was Bhatkal’s defence lawyer said earlier, “If the court in Mumbai issues a production warrant against Bhatkal, he would be brought here, and would be tried for the cases pending here.”