Akshardham mastermind held in J-K

Police claimed to have made a breakthrough in the Akshardham temple attack case with the arrest of Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Yasin Bhat in S...

Police claimed to have made a breakthrough in the Akshardham temple attack case with the arrest of Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Yasin Bhat in Srinagar on Saturday. Bhat, a local LeT commander of Anantnag-Kulgam area and an absconding accused in the case, was nabbed by J-K police. After Chand Khan’s arrest on August 31 last, this is the second LeT militant who, police say, is involved in the September 24, 2002 temple attack which left 31 dead and 86 injured.

Confirming the arrest, Kashmir Zone IGP K. Rajendra said: ‘‘Yes, he has been arrested. And he’s one of the masterminds of the attack on Akshardham temple and an important link in the conspiracy. Our investigations are still on and we’re questioning him.’’

Investigations have revealed that Yasin was one of the three LeT commanders involved in the planning and execution of the temple attack. The other two LeT commanders — Manzoor Ahmed Chaudhry and Zubair — were killed in encounters.

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While officials of the Detection of Crime Branch investigating the case are tight-lipped, sources said a Gujarat police team would leave for Srinagar by this weekend to arrest Yasin and seek his transfer to the city.

J-K police sources said Yasin had confessed to his involvement with Chaudhry in planning the attack and selection of the two fidayeen — Shakeel and Abdullah — killed by NSG commandos in the temple. J-K police said Yasin told them he had arranged for the AK rifles and hand grenades through Zubair, and had them transported through Chand Khan to Ahmedabad.

According to Chand, it was Yasin who had accompanied him on Sept 17, 2002, from Anantnag with the arms and fidayeen.