Riyaz Bhatkal
Born
Shah Riyaz Ahmad Mohammed Ismail Shahbandari

Bhatkal, Karnataka, India
NationalityIndian
OrganizationIndian Mujahideen
RelativesIqbal Bhatkal (brother)

Shah Riyaz Ahmad Mohammed Ismail Shahbandari, known as Riyaz Bhatkal, is the co-founder, leader and a wanted terrorist of Indian Mujahideen, a terrorist group based in India. Riyaz Ismail Shahbandri is one of the Indian Mujahideen's three top commanders and is currently based in Karachi, Pakistan along with his brother Iqbal Bhatkal.[1][2]

Early life

He was born in Bhatkal, Karnataka and studied engineering. In his earlier days, he was an activist of Students Islamic Movement of India and later founded the Indian Mujahideen with several of its members; transforming the student organisation into a jihadist group.[3][4]

Militancy

According to Pune Police, Mohsin Ismail Chowdhury, an accused for the German Bakery blast was recruited by Iqbal Shabandari, while Iqbal was living in Mumbai. While the two Bhatkal brothers were living in Khondwa, Pune they presided over terrorist networks that later carried out multiple bombings across the country.[3][2] Attacks committed in various Indian cities by the Indian Mujahideen, including the 2008 Ahmedabad bombings, were claimed through emails sent to media on the instructions of Riyaz. He is suspected in the 2006 Mumbai train bombings where he is said to have procured the explosives used in the bombings of the suburban railway.[2]

In all the cases above Riyaz is an absconding accused. Riyaz is currently based in Karachi, Pakistan along with his brother Iqbal where they fled to in the aftermath of the Batla House encounter in 2008.[2] Yasin Bhatkal, another co-founder of the IM lead the group's operations while the brothers coordinated from Karachi. Yasin was later caught and sentenced to death in India and the brothers are now believed to operate their own faction of the group, dubbed the "Karachi project", with help of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence and the Lashkar-e-Taiba.[5][4]

Bhatkal's name was listed in the list of "50 most wanted" criminals sheltered in Pakistan.[6] An Investigation by NIA reveals that Riyaz was frustrated with Pakistan's ISI officials due to their bad treatment.[7]

In 2013, it was revealed that in response to a request for a nuclear weapon, Bhatkal had responded that "Anything can be arranged in Pakistan".[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Interpol warrant for Bangalore stadium attack suspect soon: police". The Hindu. 29 May 2012. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d Gupta, Shishir (8 April 2012). "Pak-based terrorists involved in cases in India". The Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 15 June 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  3. ^ a b Swami, Praveen (17 February 2010). "In city scarred by terror, family confronts its demons". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  4. ^ a b Jamal, A. (2012, 28 September). A Profile of Iqbal Bhatkal: The First Indian Mujahideen Leader Added to India’s Most Wanted List. Jamestown Foundation. Refworld.
  5. ^ "A short history of the Indian Mujahideen". The Indian Express. 24 January 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  6. ^ "India releases list of '50 most wanted' sheltered in Pak". The Times of India. 12 May 2011. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
  7. ^ "Riyaz Bhatkal called ISI a Dog, says NIA Chargesheet". IANS. news.biharprabha.com. Archived from the original on 11 July 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
  8. ^ Chauhan, Neeraj (30 December 2013). "Indian Mujahideen wanted to nuke Surat, Yasin Bhatkal tells cops". indiatimes.com. TNN. Archived from the original on 30 December 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
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