’Bhatkal attacked Jama Masjid as foreigners wearing mini skirts entered it’

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Apr 23, 2014: Foreigners wearing mini skirts and entering Jama Masjid here prompted Indian Mujahideen (IM) co-founder Yasin Bhatkal and his aides to commit terror strike at the historic mosque in September 2010, the Delhi Police has told a court here.

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 the foreigners as "un-Islamic" and due to this they decided to strike at gate number three of the mosque.

"After the recee carried out by Yasin...., it was decided that gate number three of the Jama Masjid was suitable for shootout as foreigners were found frequenting the place and their wearing of mini skirts/ short clothes while entering the Jama Masjid compound was considered by these terrorists as un-Islamic," the police said.

Bhatkal and Akhtar were chargesheeted in connection with the September 19, 2010 Jama Masjid terror attack case in which two Taiwanese tourists had sustained bullet injuries.

The police said that two bikers had fired at tourists at the gate number three of Jama Masjid in Old Delhi area and Taiwanese, Ku-Ze-Wei and Ko-chiange, had sustained injuries.

A bomb fitted in a stolen car parked in the area had caused a mild explosion, according to the police.

In its charge sheet, the police said five months after February 13, 2010 bomb blast at Pune, IM’s Indian chief Bhatkal had planned to carry out a terror strike at German Bakery in Paharganj here on August 1, 2010 but the plan was aborted as one of the executors had sustained bullet injuries due to accidental firing.

On February 13, 2010, a powerful bomb blast had ripped through Pune’s German Bakery killing 17 people, including foreigners, and injuring around 60 others.

The special cell, in its charge sheet, said Yasin had planned to carry out the strike at German Bakery in Paharganj here on August 1, 2010 and co-accused Quateel Siddiqui, who died under mysterious circumstances in Pune’s Yerawada Jail in 2012, and Mohd Adil were assigned the work to open fire at the foreign tourists.

It said while Quateel and Adil were on their way to carry out the attack, the carbine which was in possession of Adil went off accidentally and Quateel sustained injury in 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 at gate number three of Jama Masjid on September 19, 2010 where Quateel and Adil "fired indiscriminately" on foreign tourists getting down from a bus and sped away.

The police filed its charge sheet against Bhatkal and Akhtar under various sections of the IPC including 307(attempt to murder), 120B(criminal conspiracy) and under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Arms Act.

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