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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Global Internet firm engineer among 15 caught in terror web

Less than two weeks after announcing that they had arrested five men and uncovered the backbone of a terror module responsible for a majority of terror attacks since 2005, Mumbai Police on Monday said they had arrested 15 more men after what “the largest manhunt exercise” and possibly averted a terror attack on the metropolis during the ongoing festival season.

The latest arrests included Mohammed Mansoor Asgar Peerbhoy alias Munawar, a 31-year-old computer engineer who police said worked with a reputed Internet firm and earned Rs 19 lakh a year. He is alleged to be the head of the “media wing” of Indian Mujahideen and was responsible for preparing and sending the terror e-mails before and after the recent blasts. His arrest, along with others in the “media wing”, had neutralised the unit, police said.

Officials said that they had seized laptops and WiFi routers from the“media wing” of IM while the other arrests had led to the seizure of 10 kg of explosives, 35 timers, four live bombs, 15 detonators, carbines and pistols among others.

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Bhatkar’s journey: from underworld to terror

In the first clear indication of the links that exist between members of the underworld and terrorist groups, investigating agencies have established Roshan Khan, who is believed to be a co-founder of Indian Mujahideen, is actually Riyaz Bhatkar, a former member of the Fazl-ur-Rehman gang.

“Bhatkar was a former member of the Fazl-ur-Rehman gang and floated the ‘Aryan gang’ that used to operate in Kurla (in Mumbai). He has been involved in Terror activities since he turned radical in 2001,” said a top police officer.

Bhatkar, the police believe, is now hiding out in Pakistan.

Bhatkar’s name had also cropped up during the investigations into the 7/11 and Malegaon blasts. A probe conducted by the Crime Branch and the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad had revealed that Mohammad Ali Shaikh (also an accused in the 7/11 case) had allegedly received Rs 1.85 lakh through hawala channels from Bhatkar.

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