On Indian Mujahideen trail, Karnataka beachfront is hotspot

With rolling hills on one side and the shimmering Arabian Sea on the other, Jali beach in Bhatkal is a serene stretch of sand frequented by locals who come here to unwind after a hard day’s work. But if the Mumbai Police is to be believed, this picture-postcard location in coastal Karnataka is the Ground Zero of a new wave of home-grown terrorism. It is on a remote tip of this beach, they say, that six of the 20 Indian Mujahideen operatives arrested recently were trained in the use of arms and explosives.

A row of elegant and spacious beach bungalows overlooks this stretch. Built by the local Nawayath Muslims who migrated to the Gulf for employment and prospered, these houses are mostly empty when they are not rented out to the occasional tourists. On one end is the ‘American Bungalow’ — so named because its owner is settled comfortably in the US where he is said to own several fast food outlets.

At the other end is a bungalow named Bahrain House, in which Mumbai Police claim Indian Mujahideen kingpin Riyaz Bhatkal and several operatives stayed and held meetings. Its entrance is locked but entry is easily gained through a gaping hole in the wooden gate.

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