German Bakery bomb blast: The Himayat Baig story; conviction and controversies

Baig’s family, residing astatine Kamwada successful Killa Maidan successful Beed district, claimed helium was innocent. His begetter astatine that clip earned conscionable astir Rs 100 per time for making jalebis astatine a hotel. The household said nary offence was registered against him successful the past.

In December 2010, the ATS filed a chargesheet against Baig and six others, including apical Indian Mujahideen (IM) operatives Riyaz Bhatkal, Iqbal Bhatkal, Yasin Bhatkal, each from Karnataka, Mohsin Choudhari of Pune and LeT commanders Fayyaz Kagzi and Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal of Beed, for their alleged relation successful the German bakery panic attack.

Police said Baig did his D.Ed successful 2006 and aboriginal took a BA grade from Poona College successful Pune. ATS officials alleged that Baig had bully relationship with immoderate of the accused persons similar Abu Jundal and Fayaz Kagzi of Beed, who were besides progressive successful the Aurangabad RDX haul of 2006.

According to the ATS chargesheet, Baig went to Colombo successful March 2008, wherever helium allegedly got panic grooming from Kagzi and Abu Jundal and there, “the diabolic plan to origin further violent activities was finalized.”

The ATS claimed to person gathered grounds of his Colombo sojourn and alleged that aft coming backmost to India from Colombo, Baig allegedly settled astatine a “remote” and “non descriptive place” similar Udgir. The authorization besides alleged that Baig became a cardinal nexus betwixt LeT and the Indian Mujahideen.

According to ATS, helium started the Global Internet cafe successful Udgir and with the assistance of astir 25 antithetic email ids, helium was successful changeless connection with the wanted accused.

The ATS pointed retired that successful Udgir, Baig allegedly concealed his individuality arsenic Yusuf and Hasan. He managed to get 2 bogus predetermination cards successful the sanction of Kayyum Ayub Shaikh and Immadoddin Ahmed Shaikh and besides acquired a bogus handicapped idiosyncratic card.

As per the ATS, Yasin Bhatkal and Mohsin Choudhary, connected the instructions of Riyaz and Iqbal Bhatkal, met Baig successful Udgir to finalise their program to works a weaponry astatine German Bakery successful January 2010. On their instructions, Baig allegedly carried retired a recce of the German Bakery connected January 31, 2010.

The ATS alleged that Yasin and Mohsin again held a gathering with Baig successful Udgir successful the archetypal week of February to springiness finishing touches to the plan. The weaponry was assembled by the duo with the assistance of Baig astatine the Global Internet cafe astatine Udgir, betwixt 1am and 5pm connected February 7.

On February 8, Baig allegedly went to Mumbai. He stayed astatine a lodge successful Mumbai wherever helium identified himself arsenic Mohammed Yusuf Mohammed Isaque of Udgir. He past purchased 2 haver sacks and a 2nd compartment telephone from Mumbai, which were utilized successful the German Bakery blast connected February 13, arsenic stated by ATS.

“…On February 13, Baig and Yasin carried the explosive instrumentality successful a backstage conveyance from Udgir to Latur and successful a authorities transport autobus from Latur to Pune. The duo past hailed an autorickshaw to question from Pulgate autobus basal to Pune railway presumption and from there, they went to Central Mall successful different autorickshaw. Yasin planted the weaponry successful a haversack astatine the bakery astir 5pm and triggered it with the assistance of a mobile triggering instrumentality astatine 6.50 pm,” stated the chargesheet.

On April 18, 2013, the proceedings tribunal successful Pune awarded decease punishment to Baig nether Sections 10 (b), 16 (1)(a) of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), Sections 302 (murder), 120 (b) (for transgression conspiracy) of the IPC and Section 3 of the Explosives Substances Act.

Baig filed an entreaty earlier the Bombay High Court (HC), wherever his decease punishment was commuted to beingness imprisonment successful May 2016. The tribunal convicted Baig lone nether the Explosives Act. The authorities authorities past filed an entreaty successful the Supreme Court against the HC verdict commuting his decease penalty. The substance is inactive pending earlier the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, apical Indian Mujahideen person Yasin Bhatkal, wanted successful aggregate panic cases successful the country, was arrested from the India – Nepal borderline successful August 2013. The Maharashtra ATS arrested Yasin successful the German Bakery blast lawsuit connected March 14, 2014 and filed a chargesheet against him earlier a tribunal successful Pune successful August of the aforesaid year.

The proceedings against Yasin is connected earlier a Pune court. Investigators judge that Yasin is disposable successful the CCTV footage of the blast time obtained from the German bakery premises during the probe.

Abu Jundal, different wanted accused allegedly progressive successful aggregate panic strikes including the 26/11 Mumbai attack, was deported from Saudi Arabia to India connected June 25, 2012. Jundal has not been arrested successful the German Bakery blast lawsuit yet.

Baig’s enactment claiming innocence

Before the judgement was passed, Baig made an affectional plea earlier the proceedings tribunal alleging that helium was framed by the ATS. He tried to work retired a 4 leafage enactment helium had written successful Marathi.

“I americium a idiosyncratic who believes successful Allah and helium knows that I would ne'er beryllium immoderate portion of a heinous transgression specified arsenic a weaponry blast. I person afloat religion successful the judiciary of the state which believes successful the rule that ‘100 criminals whitethorn beryllium fto escaped but 1 guiltless idiosyncratic shouldn’t beryllium punished’…In a German Bakery blast 17 guiltless radical were killed. Now 1 much guiltless idiosyncratic is being victimised. I americium the 18th unfortunate of the Bakery blast. To render justness to the victims of the Blast it would beryllium inappropriate to punish different guiltless person. ….I haven’t seen explosives successful my full life. I haven’t touched RDX once. This is simply a conspiracy against maine by ATS….,” Baig had told the court.

Baig filed an entreaty earlier the Bombay High Court, wherever his decease punishment was commuted to beingness imprisonment successful May 2016. He continues to beryllium successful jail. Last twelvemonth successful September, helium was released connected a parole of 45 days.

Controversies and contradictions
-A contention sparked arsenic conscionable a fewer days aft Baig’s arrest, the past lawman Onspector General of Police (ATS) Ravindra Kadam told mediapersons astatine Udgir that Baig was not successful Pune connected the time of German Bakery blast. Kadam had said that Baig was progressive successful assembling the explosives with Mohsin Choudhary and Yasin Bhatkal astatine the Global Internet xafe successful Udgir, but helium did not travel to Pune connected the time of blast. But Kadam aboriginal gave clarification to the media that it was a misunderstanding connected his part. “I americium giving clarification that Baig was really successful Pune connected the time of the blast,” Kadam had said.

-A contention erupted aft the apprehension of alleged Indian Mujahideen subordinate Mohammed Qateel Siddiui successful November 2011 by Delhi police. Qateel was interrogated by Delhi constabulary and aboriginal by Bangalore police. It revealed Siddiqui conducted a reccee of the German Bakery on with Yasin Bhatkal, but did not notation thing astir Baig. The Maharashtra ATS aboriginal arrested Siddiqui for his alleged program to weaponry the Dagdusheth Ganpati temple successful Pune connected February 13, 2010, the aforesaid time erstwhile the German Bakery blast took place. However, Siddqui was murdered by Pune gangster Sharad Mohol astatine the Yerwada jailhouse successful June 2012.

-On September 6, 2014, the Delhi Police arrested a BPO staffer from Pune, Ajaz Shaikh alias Samar Armaan Tunde alias Sagar from Saharanpur successful Uttar Pradesh. He near location connected the greeting of February 15, 2014, saying helium was going to Bangalore for a occupation interview, but aboriginal did not return. The Family lodged a missing study astatine the Khadak constabulary presumption successful Pune connected February 19, 2014. A Delhi constabulary property merchandise claimed that Ajaz is an IM operative and the archetypal task entrusted to him by the absconding IM leaders was to assistance Yasin Bhatkal successful the execution of the German Bakery weaponry blast.

According to the Delhi Police, Ajaz was allegedly instrumental successful the finalisation of the German Bakery tract considered to beryllium of maximum interaction potential, successful enactment with the objectives of the Indian Mujahideen.

A peculiar NIA tribunal aboriginal awarded decease condemnation to Ajaz for his relation successful the duplicate blasts astatine the Dilsukh Nagar marketplace successful Hyderabad connected February 21, 2013. The tribunal bid stated that Ajaz had allegedly delivered the explosives for bombing the German Bakery to Yasin Bhatkal. But the Maharashtra ATS did not sanction Ajaz arsenic accused successful the German bakery blast case. Incidentally, wanted accused Mohsin Choudhary is the brother-in-law of Ajaz. According to the family, Mohsin got joined to Ajaz’s sister successful 2001, but helium went missing successful 2008.

Baig acquitted successful Jehadi lit case

The Maharashtra ATS arrested 5 alleged members of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) successful August 2008. About 40 books connected jihad were seized from the suspects. The ATS arrested Baig separately successful this lawsuit successful 2011.

The ATS had past submitted earlier the tribunal that portion studying successful Pune, Baig and different accused allegedly conducted the spiritual ‘darj’ meetings of Muslim youths successful Pune astatine a masjid connected Solapur Road and immoderate different places. The authorization alleged that the accused circulated jihadi lit among the Muslim youths and pressed jihadi ideology onto them. However, connected December 2, 2016, the ATS filed an exertion seeking Baig’s discharge successful this case. Subsequently, a tribunal discharged Baig from this lawsuit successful February 2017.