Punish my son if he's guilty, but I don't know who is Yasin Bhatkal: mother

Hyderabad: After Indian Mujahideen operative Yasin Bhatkal was sentenced to death for the 2013 Hyderabad blasts, his mother claimed that his real name was Mohammad Ahmed Sidibapa, and not Yasin Bhatkal.

“We have petitioned the High Court thrice in the past against branding my son Mohammad Ahmed Sidibapa as ‘Yasin Bhatkal’ but nothing happened,” she said according to a report.

We do not know who is Yasin Bhatkal. My brother’s name was Mohammad Ahmed Sidibapa and we do not know why my brother was named Yasin Bhatkal,” Abdul Samad, a close relative of Yasin was also quoted as saying.

However, Yasin’s mother Rehana Begum added that if he had indeed committed the crime, he should be punished, because ‘nobody is bigger than the country’.

On the other hand, Yasin’s father Zarar Sidibapa, who was taken ill after hearing the news, was too grief-stricken to speak.

The Maqdhoom Colony of Bhatkal showed no signs of grief on hearing of the judgement, said the report. Some people said they felt sorry for the family, but did not recognise Bhatkal as he had left the place 20 years ago.

Five key operatives of Indian Mujahideen, including the banned terror outfit's co-founder Yasin Bhatkal and a Pakistani national, were on Monday awarded death penalty by a Special NIA court in the February 2013 Hyderabad bomb blasts which claimed 18 lives.

Pronouncing the sentence, Judge T Srinivasa Rao described the case as the "rarest of the rare".

This is the first case where operatives of the home-grown group have been convicted in a terror case.

NIA Special Public Prosecutor K Surender said the court, after going through their evidence, found that the case is based on facts. "As per investigation...evidence that is placed on record clearly reflects that the five IM members planned and executed the bomb blasts. We sought capital punishment (for the convicts) and accordingly the court gave death penalty to them," he said.
The prosecutor described the verdict as a "victory" for NIA's investigation and the witnesses.

The court, after hearing the arguments of prosecution and defence counsels on sentencing, awarded death penalty to the convicts and also varying jail terms on different counts including, waging war against the Government of India and commission of terrorist act.