Yasin Bhatkal, the Indian Mujahideen operative, was produced before a Mumbai court on Wednesday with a high-security cover for a hearing in the 2011 Mumbai triple blasts case, where he is one of the accused. Bhatkal, who is a death convict lodged in Tihar jail in New Delhi, is usually produced before court through video-conferencing. The special court in Mumbai, however, had directed for Bhatkal to be produced before the court, as it had to frame charges against the accused. After multiple production warrants were previously issued by the court, Bhatkal was brought to the court from Delhi on Wednesday. The court asked Bhatkal if he had been represented with a lawyer and if he would want to be assigned a lawyer from the free legal aid panel. Bhatkal said he wanted advocate Wahab Khan as his lawyer. The court directed Bhatkal to be taken back to Tihar jail and for him to be produced henceforth through video-conference.
