Bangaluru: Seven years after three explosions rocked M Chinnaswamy Stadium and three bombs were found in its vicinity, a city civil and sessions court on Tuesday framed charges against alleged Indian Mujahideen (IM) co-founder Yasin Bhatkal, in five cases in connection with the incidents.

Additional city civil & sessions judge Siddalinga Prabhu framed charges against Yasin, just over a week after dismissing his discharge application.

The framing of charges paves the way for Yasin’s trial. The cases against the other arrested accused are in evidence stage. Mohammad Ahamad Siddibappa, alias Yasin Bhatkal, had sought that he be discharged from the cases as he had been falsely implicated, and was innocent of the offences alleged in the five chargesheets.

yasin-bhatkalBengaluru police officials examine evidence left behind near the Chinnaswamy Stadium in April 2010; (inset) Yasin Bhatkal.

“He contended that on the date of registration of the case, the Indian Mujahideen had not been declared a terrorist organization. He also claimed that the prosecution had not obtained the requisite sanction to charge him under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967,” a source privy to the investigations said. His plea was dismissed on December 5.

“Eight accused were arrested in the five cases, and one of them died in jail in Pune. Five more accused are still at large. Yasin was arrested a year after the other accused were arrested. Charges had already been framed against the other accused earlier,” a police officer said.

According to chargesheets, Yasin was a member of the Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and along with the absconding Habib, alias Iqbal Bhatkal, and Riyaz Bhatkal, alias Bade Bhai, had floated the terrorist outfit Indian Mujahideen, with the sole intention of waging a jihad and forming an Islamic State (Darul-Islam) in India.