Yasin Bhatkal`s family relieved he was not eliminated

Reacting to news of the arrest of co-founder of terror outfit IM, his family said that they were relieved that Yasin Bhatkal was not eliminated.

Zee Media Bureau/Manisha Singh

New Delhi: Reacting to the news of the arrest of the co-founder of terror outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM), his family said on Wednesday that they were relieved that Yasin Bhatkal was not eliminated by the security forces.

A note to the press, which has been signed by Yasin`s father, Zarar Siddibapa and uncle Yakub Siddibapa, said, "We are extremely relieved that Ahmed Siddibapa has been arrested, according to media reports. We are relieved because the truth will come out and our fears that he would be eliminated in a fake encounter have been set to rest."
They also said that if Yasin was guilty, he should be punished as per the law. "We have complete faith in the judicial process. He should be punished if he is guilty of any offence after the due process of law is followed. The cardinal principle that every person is innocent until proven guilty should be followed," the note says.

Clarifying certain facts pertaining to Yasin, the family accused the media of spreading lies about him. "We wish to put the basic facts in the public domain. Ahmed Siddibapa was born in 1983. He studied at Bhatkal from Grade 1 to 10. He had never set foot on Pune to our knowledge until he disappeared from Dubai. Ahmed could not pass his tenth grade," they said.

"Ahmed left for Dubai in November 2005. Ahmed disappeared from Dubai in 2007. Despite the best efforts of the family and the Dubai intelligence, Ahmed Siddibapa could not be traced," they added.

The family also requested the media not to conduct a trial on their own and allow the law to take its own course.

One of the India`s most wanted terror suspect, Yasin Bhatkal was arrested on Wednesday night from the Indo-Nepal border in North Bihar. After being apprehended, he was produced at a local court in Motihari.

Bhatkal is wanted in several bomb blast cases in India, including Delhi High Court blast in September 2011 and German Bakery blast case in February 2010. He is also believed to be one of the conspirators behind the 2010 Chinnaswamy blasts in Bangalore and the 2013 twin bomb blast case at Dilsukhnagar, Hyderabad. He is also said to have played a crucial role in the implementation of 2006 Mumbai train blasts.

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