NIA may bring Yasin Bhatkal and his father face-to-face

TNN

Mangalore, 07 Sep, 2013 : Captured terror suspect Yasin Bhatkal is likely to be brought to Bhatkal town in Uttara Kannada district and confronted with Zarrar Siddibapa after the latter refused to acknowledge that the arrested militant is his son.

 

The Intelligence Bureau, Research and Analysis Wing and Bihar police arrested Yasin Bhatkal, allegedly wanted in several terror cases across India, in a joint operation on August 28.

According to sources, Zarrar is seeking an appointment with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to ascertain whether the arrested person is, indeed, his son. A team of NIA officials is likely to bring him to Bhatkal in this regard.

Sources in the agencies told TOI that Yasin is likely to be taken to places, including a house on Bandar Road and Jali Beach bungalow, where he allegedly attended meetings.

"The NIA’s visit is also to corroborate whether what Yasin told the inquiry officers is true,’’ an official said. Other sources quoted Zarrar as saying that if the photographs appearing in the media are correct, then the "bearded person" resembles his son.

Zarrar has contacted a Bangalore lawyer, Akmal Rizvi, to take up his son’s case. Rizvi, state secretary of the Association for Protection of Civil Rights, confirmed Zarrar touching base with him and added that the talks were in the consultation stage.

On the case, Rizvi said he needs advocates in as many as eight states as Yasin is facing cases there. The lawyer said Majlis-e-Islah-o-Tanzeem, an NGO, is upset that the name of Bhatkal town is repeatedly sullied and wants to initiate legal proceedings so that its name is not associated in such cases. Majlis-e-Islah-o-Tanzeem represents a majority of the Muslims in Bhatkal assembly constituency.