The state anti-terrorism squad (ATS) claimed on Monday to have cracked the February 13 Pune German Bakery blast case with the arrest of a 23-year-old at the Mangalore airport.
Abdul Samad, arrested in the morning, was identified by the police as the younger brother of Yasin Bhatkal, alias Siddibappa, a key member of Indian Mujahideen (IM) — suspected of being involved in bomb blasts across the country in recent years.
However, the ATS officials in Mumbai maintain that Samad is wanted in a 2009 arms haul case, but is not connected to the German Bakery case.
The Pune blast, which left 17 dead and more than 60 injured, was the first terror attack in the country after 26/11.
DNA has obtained a picture of Samad at the bakery’s counter with a rucksack, in which he is suspected to have carried the bomb. The picture was captured by a CCTV camera inside the bakery.
The police said Samad went to Mangalore from Bhatkal, Karnataka, from where he boarded a flight to Dubai on February 27. The police traced Samad’s residence, Zarrar Manzil, in Bhatkal from his passport. His father, Mohammed Zarrar, has a garment business in Dubai from his establishment Zarrar Complex.
The police said Samad entered the bakery around 6pm. After placing an order at the counter, he took a corner table. He was inside the restaurant for about 45 minutes. The blast took place at 6.52pm, which the police suspect was triggered by a timer; the timer’s make is not clear.
Central agencies informed of Samad’s suspected involvement in the blast issued a lookout notice for him in Dubai.
The Dubai government refused to extend his visa on the request of the Indian embassy. So Samad was forced to return to Mangalore.
His brother Yasin Bhatkal is wanted in the Gujarat, Bangalore and Hyderabad blast cases. Bhatkal is suspected to be in Karachi with Riyaz and his brother Iqbal, the founder members of IM.
