dna exposed IM founder's Nepal connection way back in February

Even as Indian Mujahideen (IM) co-founder Yasin Bhatkal, the key accused in the Pune, Hyderabad and Mumbai blasts, was arrested on the Indo-Nepal border, dna had, in one of its earlier stories during the Hyderabad blasts, reported his Nepal connections.

In a story published on February 24, 2013, dna had pointed out his Nepal connection based on information received from a state intelligence officer. At the time of Hyderabad blasts, dna had reported that Bhatkal was spotted in Chennai days before the blast but managed to give agencies the slip.

The state intelligence officials, who gave dna the information, had said that Bhatkal was believed to have been holed up in Nepal. Security agencies on Thursday revealed that Bhatkal was trailed for six months before being arrested in Nepal.

The state intelligence sources had said that they are now trying to trace him in the locations he was last reported to have been seen.

In fact, dna was the first daily to break the news that the Bhatkal brothers were involved in the German Bakery blast.

In its May 24 edition, the newspaper had highlighted the arrest of Yasin, brother of Abdul Samad, by the ATS under the Arms Act.

dna in its exclusive story on October 12, 2012, had described how the Bhatkal brothers spent 8 years in Pune to set up a terror module, a claim made by the Pune police after the German Bakery blast.