File photo of Indian Mujahideen co-founder Yasin Bhatkal
Yasin Bhatkal figures very high on the list of India's most wanted terrorists and is wanted for his alleged role in almost every terror attack in the country since 2007. He is 30 years old.
Bhatkal, whose real name is Mohammed Ahmed Siddibappa, is said to be a co-founder of the Indian Mujahideen along with the other Bhatkals, brothers Riyaz and Iqbal. The three belong to Bhatkal, a coastal Karnataka town and are said to have started their terror outfit there, disappearing around 2008-09. Their families still live there.
Yasin, who was arrested last night near the Nepal border is said to be an expert bomb-maker and a master of disguises. He has proved slippery before. In December 2009, Yasin, already wanted for blasts in Delhi and Hyderabad, was picked up by the Kolkata police in a case of theft.
A few days later, he walked out of the Shakespeare Sarani police station. He had convinced the police that he was Bulla Mallik, a resident of Kolkata. The Kolkata police realised only later that they had netted Yasin Bhatkal and allowed him to walk out. His next alleged attack came soon after.
In 2008, as the Karnataka police attempted to smoke out Indian Mujahideen operatives, Yasin Bhatkal escaped by the skin of his teeth because the cops delayed a raid in Chikamagalur. (
Read: Yasin Bhatkar behind these deadly attacks in India)
He reportedly also uses the alias Shahrukh. Twice, CCTV camera footage from bomb blast sites have captured images of him - in the 2010 German Bakery blast in Pune and again in the Hyderabad blast in February this year. Another photograph available is that from a passport application under an assumed name in Ranchi.
Bhatkal, a class 10 dropout, who later went to Saudi Arabia where he was allegedly indoctrinated and trained under the supervision of Pakistan's ISI.
In 2010, his brother was arrested at Mangalore airport by the police who thought he was Yasin. The government said it had netted a prize catch. He was later released and a red-faced Home Minister P Chidambaram cautioned the police to "exercise restraint."
The Indian Mujahideen that he allegedly helped set up, taps disgruntled Indian youth for terror activities. The organisation is closely aligned with the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, which was responsible for the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai.
The Indian Mujahideen was declared a terrorist organisation by India in June 2010 and by the USA a year later.