German Bakery blast case, nine years on

As many as 17 people were killed and 56 were injured in a bomb blast at the German Bakery in Koregaon Park area of Pune on February 13, 2010. Yasin Bhatkal alias Mohammed Ahmad Mohammed Jarar Siddibappa alias Shivananad is a prime accused in the terror case.

5 min readPuneJun 16, 2019 04:18 AM IST

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Seventeen people died in the blast in the evening of February 12, 2010. (Source: Express Photo)

The hearing on an application filed by the Delhi Police regarding production of alleged Indian Mujahideen (IM) terror operative Yasin Bhatkal for trial into the German Bakery blast case via video-conferencing was on Saturday postponed to July 19 due to the absence of prosecution lawyer. As many as 17 people were killed and 56 were injured in a bomb blast at the German Bakery in Koregaon Park area of Pune on February 13, 2010. Yasin Bhatkal alias Mohammed Ahmad Mohammed Jarar Siddibappa alias Shivananad is a prime accused in the terror case.

The Indian Express explains the case as it stands today.

First arrest, chargesheet and suspicions around it

The first arrest in the German Bakery bomb blast case was that of Mirza Himayat Baig of Beed district. He was arrested by the state Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) from Pune on September 7, 2010. The ATS claimed to have recovered about 1.2 kilograms of RDX from Baig’s residence in Udgir.

In December 2010, the ATS filed a chargesheet against Baig. The ATS had named six others, including IM commanders Riyaz Bhatkal, Iqbal Bhatkal, Yasin Bhatkal, Mohsin Choudhari, LeT commanders Fayyaz Kagzi and Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal, as accused in the case. Also, during the probe, police had recovered a Voter ID card with Baig’s photograph, but had the name of an Udgir resident Shaikh Khayyum Ayub on it.

The ATS chargesheet stated that Baig went to Colombo, where LeT operatives — Fayyaz Kagzi and Zabiuddin Ansari — gave him training. Baig’s passport details showed that he had visited Colombo. But Baig told the court that he went to Colombo for selling Indian ready-made garments and perfume, which he purchased from Kharghar in Mumbai. Defence lawyer had claimed there was no evidence of Baig’s alleged terror training in Colombo.

On April 18, 2013, the sessions court in Pune awarded death sentence to Baig in the case. Meanwhile, a chargesheet submitted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) before a Delhi court in July 2013, about the IM’s overall activities in the country, mentioned about Yasin Bhatkal’s alleged involvement in the blast case, but it did not name Himayat Baig. On March 17, 2016, the Bombay High Court, while setting aside death sentence for Baig, granted him life term, holding him guilty under Section 5 (b) of the Explosive Substances Act.

Further probe: Arrest of Yasin Bhatkal

In June 2012, accused Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal was deported from Saudi Arabia to India. Also alleged to be involved in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case, Jundal so far has not been arrested in the German Bakery blast case.

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Meanwhile, in August 2013, accused Yasin Bhatkal was arrested from India-Nepal border. In March 2014, the ATS formally arrested Bhatkal in the German Bakery blast case and filed a supplementary chargesheet against him in August. According to the ATS, Bhatkal was seen in the CCTV footage obtained from the blast site.

Bhatkal’s lawyer brought it to the notice of the court that the hearing in the blast case was stalled and postponed on several occasions as he was not produced in the court since August 2014. Then, as per the directions of the court, the ATS produced Bhatkal before a court on April 29 this year for framing of charges. A team of the Delhi Police had brought him to Pune from Tihar jail.

The court read out the charges framed against Bhatkal under sections 302, 307, 326, 325, 324, 427, 120 (b), 467, 468, 474, 153 (a), 109 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, sections of the Indian Explosives Substances Act and sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. Bhatkal, however, rejected the charges against him and pleaded not guilty.

Hearing postponed

The Delhi Police on April 29 submitted an application before the special court in Pune that Bhatkal was an accused in various blasts across the country and for security reasons, the court should allow his trial in the German Bakery blast case via video-conferencing.

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“Considering his antecedents, it is of paramount risk to take him all the way from Delhi to Pune for producing before the honourable court. There is every apprehension of his own terrorist group or his anti-group or any other fundamentalist attacking him,” stated the application filed by ACP Vireshwar Malik of the Delhi Police.

Hearing on the application was expected on Saturday. “No hearing took place today (Saturday) because special public prosecutor Raja Thakre could not come to the court. So the court has given July 19 as next date for hearing. Meanwhile, I have filed my say before the court regarding the application filed by the Delhi Police,” said advocate Zaheerkhan Pathan, who represents Yasin Bhatkal.

Chandan Haygunde

Chandan Haygunde is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With over 20 years of experience in journalism, he is one of the region's most authoritative voices on crime, national security, and legal affairs. Professional Profile Specialization: He specialises covering issues related to Crime, Courts, National Security and Human Rights. He has done investigative reporting on incidents of terrorism, left wing extremism, espionage cases, wildlife crimes, narcotics racket, cyber crimes and sensational murder cases in Pune and other parts of Maharashtra. While working on the ‘Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Fellowship on Tigers, Tiger Habitats and Conservation’ in 2012, he reported extensively on the illegal activities in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. He is at the helm of the widely read weekly series “Pune Crime Files”. He is widely recognized for his deep-dive coverage of the cases related to the Koregaon Bhima violence in Pune and the Elgaar Parishad investigation. Key Beats: His portfolio includes covering crimes mainly under the jurisdiction of Pune City, Pune rural and Pimpri Chinchwad Police, along with the sensitive cases from the state, being investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Background: Before his long tenure at The Indian Express, he worked with other Marathi and English publications, giving him a unique grassroots understanding of Maharashtra's socio-political landscape. Awards and Recognition: He got the CMS PANOS Young Environment Journalist Award in January 2014 for investigative reports on illegal activities in Sahyadri Tiger Rerserve. He received the award for outstanding investigative journalism by the Lokmat group in Pune in January 2020, “Missing since 2010, Pune youth a ‘Maoist Commander’ in Chhattisgarh”, which appeared on July 9, 2019. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) In recent months, Chandan’s reporting has focused on high-profile terror case investigations, inter-state firearms racket, leopard movements in Pune city, cyber scams and hearings of the Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry. 1. High-Profile crimes and terrorism cases “Techie linked to Al-Qaeda preached democracy is against Shariat” (Nov 17, 2025). Reporting on the ongoing investigation into the arrest of IT professional Zubair Hangargekar (37) from Pune for alleged terror links. “The case against Jyoti Jagtap, member of ‘Maoist front’ Kabir Kala Manch and Elgaar Parishad organiser, granted interim bail by apex court” (Nov 20, 2025) Tracking the updates in the high profile Elgaar Parishad case related to the alleged naxal activities in urban areas. “How NIA arrested doctor turned ‘ISIS recruiter’ in Maharashtra terror module case” (Nov 24, 2025) After the arrest of doctors in Delhi Red Fort blast, a report on alleged terror links of a consulting anaesthetist from a Pune hospital. “A year after loco pilot averts tragedy by spotting gas cylinder on railway track, probe still inconclusive” (Dec 8, 2025). Report on the unsolved case of a suspected sabotage incident, which could have derailed a train. “No records of Sambhaji Maharaj’s cremation available: Author, ex-IAS officer Vishwas Patil tells Koregaon Bhima panel” (Dec 1, 2025) Reporting on a sensitive issue related to the Koregaon Bhima violence. 2. Inter-state firearms racket "Pune police swoop down on ‘village of pistols’ in Madhya Pradesh; 36 detained, 50 kilns destroyed" (Nov 22, 2025) "Recce a week before, microplanning: how Pune police raided ‘village of pistols’ in MP" (Nov 24, 2025) Reporting on the illegal gun manufacturing units in Umarti village, Madhya Pradesh 3. Cybercrime & Financial Scams “Pimpri Chinchwad police arrest ‘bank account supplier’ with links to China, nationwide cyber scams" (Nov 27, 2025) An investigative look at the modus opernadi of international cyber-gangs cheating high-earning professionals across the country ‘Your case linked to Pahalgam terrorist’: Pune businessman loses Rs 1.44 crore to fraudster posing as NIA chief" (Oct 18, 2025) Report on the tricks played on cyber scammers cheating people through digital arrest frauds Signature Style: The Investigative Hit Chandan is known for his ability to cultivate deep-cover sources within the police and intelligence agencies. His writing often goes beyond the "police version" of events, providing historical context and identifying systemic lapses. He is particularly respected for his balanced reporting on sensitive communal issues and his persistent tracking of the Maoist urban-link cases, making his columns essential reading for legal experts and policymakers. X (Twitter): @chandan_pune ... Read More

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