The central investigating agencies on Friday confirmed Indian Mujahideen's role in the blast at Pune's German Bakery on February 13 that killed 17 people and injured more than 70.
The agencies have conveyed this to Maharashtra's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and have named the absconding Bhatkal brothers - Iqbal and Riyaz - for the operation. According to the report, Riyaz Bhaktal oversaw the entire operation from Dubai.
Although the central agencies have asked other investigating agencies to identify local operatives who assisted in carrying out the blast, police teams in Pune have failed to make any arrests.
A senior police officer said that Iqbal and Riyaz alias Yaseen Bhatkal had managed to escape to Pakistan almost five years ago. Since then, various Indian agencies had arrested several of their group members involved in bomb blasts at Hyderabad, Varanasi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, and Delhi.
Although 16 IM members had been arrested in the past two years from the terror outfit's north and south modules, the police believe that fresh recruits were used for the German Bakery blast. And that is why it is difficult to identify them.
An officer said that the perpetrators of the Pune blast were not from the state and had received support from sleeper cells in Pune.
According to security officials, while Iqbal is based in Dubai, Riyaz is living in Karachi.
