Mumbai serial blasts: Yasin Bhatkal, aide sent to ATS custody till Feb 18

Yashin Bhatkal and his aide have been actively involved in assembling the IEDs used at three blasts spots.

Amidst heavy security, Indian Mujahideen operative Yasin Bhatkal and his aide Asadullah Akhtar were produced before the Special MCOCA court on Thursday. The special court has sent them to the state anti terrorism squad’s custody till February 18 for their alleged involvement in the July 13, 2011 serial blasts case.

Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam informed the court that the accused have been actively involved in assembling the IEDs used at three blasts spots – near Dadar Kabutarkhana, Opera House and Zaveri Bazaar which claimed 27 lives and 127 were injured.

While Akhtar has been represented by the Muslim legal organisation Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind , Bhatkal was provided state legal aide after he informed the court that he had no lawyer.

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The court has allowed the lawyers to meet the duo twice a week with prior intimation to the investigating officers.

The court also accepted the prosecution’s application to handcuff the accused owing to the “high chances” of them fleeing while being ferried to the court from Arthur road jail.