Bhatkal: Five alleged IM operatives were awarded death penalty by a special NIA court in the Feb 2013 Hyderabad twin blast case.

On Dec 13th , the court had convicted five members, including Ahmed Siddibapa alias Yaseen Bhatkal. This is the first case so far where the alleged operative of the IM has been convicted. With the announcement of court verdict, the police is on high alert in Bhatkal, the native place of Yaseen, so as to maintain peace in the town.

On the other hand, Yaseen's family is ready to challenge the NIA court verdict and are ready to file a petition in the higher court as they were already suspicious about the verdict of NIA court. They believe that they would get justice from High Court & Supreme Court. 

Speaking to media, Yaseen's mother Bibi Rehana, sister Mariyam, brother Samad and uncle Yaqoob strongly opposed this verdict  as they believe he is innocent & there is no strong evidence against him. Yaseen has already filed a petition in the Hyderabad high court in order to change the NIA judge as he was not satisfied with the judge's intention who had already told him that Yaseen is going to be hanged. Every month when the family met Yaseen he told them that he was regularly threatened by the judge. There was no any proof mentioned in the charge sheet against Yaseen so was difficult for them to understand on what basis the judgment was made, alleged his family members.

According to his brother Samad, the NIA court said the entire plan was executed through internet sitting in Nepal, so it was not necessary that Yaseen was involved in it as anybody can operate Internet and convey the messages. 'From the year 2005-06 we were not in touch with Yaseen nor we had any idea about his whereabouts, we had the idea that police has done his encounter, but in 2013 when he was arrested we got to know that he was alive and got some relief. We strongly belive that he will be proved innocent and get free from all the charges put against him', hoped Samad.