Gujarat cops’ wait for Bhatkal gets longer

AHMEDABAD: The wait of Gujarat police for the custody of Indian Mujahideen terror suspect Yasin Bhatkal, who is accused of masterminding the 2008 serial blasts in Ahmedabad, has just got longer.
According to crime branch sources, Bhatkal who is now in the custody of Telangana Police in connection with the twin blasts at Dilsukhnagar in Hyderabad in February 2013, has been slapped with section 268 of CrPC.This means he cannot be taken out the jail till the section is revoked.
“Recently, we had approached the Telangana Police for the custody of Bhatkal. They said as section 268 of CrPC has been slapped on Bhatkal and the trial is to begin soon, they won’t be able to hand us his custody till the trial is over,’’ said a senior crime branch official.
Crime branch sources said Yasin Bhatkal, Iqbal and Riaz Bhatkal, are prime accused in the July 2008 serial blasts. Iqbal and Riaz are suspected to be hiding in Pakistan.
More than 53 people were killed and over 250 injured in the blasts. Crime branch has arrested more than 70 accused and at least 10 accused still absconding.
Crime branch sources said Gujarat Police was the first to submit the transfer warrant for Yasin Bhatkal after he was arrested by NIA in September 2013 from India-Nepal border. “His accomplice Assadullah Akhtar too was arrested along with him,” said a crime branch official.
Senior crime branch officials added that till now Bhatkal had been interrogated by Delhi Police and Maharashtra Police.