NIA to take over German bakery case

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In what could be an embarrassment for Maharashtra police's elite ATS, the Centre is set to take over the German bakery case in which the ATS had filed a chargesheet and arrested a person.

Terming the German bakery case as 'unresolved', top Government sources said on Tuesday that this will be be taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) along with other cases relating to the blast near Jama Masjid, barely days ahead of 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, and the Varanasi blast in December last.

"The NIA will take over the three cases soon," a Home Ministry official said.

The Centre's move could leave the ATS Mumbai red faced since it claimed in its chargesheet that the German Bakery case had been solved and that it was carried out by one Mirza Himayat Beigh and some others belonging to Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT) and Indian Mujahideen.

However, there were holes in the ATS claims from day one as several witnesses were ready to appear before the court to say that Beigh had been detained much ahead of his actual arrest shown on December four, 2010 and that there was allegedly no clarity in the claims of the police.

Even the Home Ministry officials did not seem to be much enthused with the findings of ATS as Lashker and Indian Mujahideen seemed to be operating at cross purpose.

Seventeen people, including foreigners, were killed in a powerful blast in Pune's German Bakery on February 13, 2010.

The NIA Act empowers the Centre to unilaterally hand over any terror case to the agency and does not require the state government's consent.

One child was killed and 37 others were injured in a blast that took place between the Dashashwamedh and Shitla ghats during Ganga 'arti' on December 7, 2010. The Indian Mujahideen had claimed responsibility for the terror strike, which was carried out a day after the 18th anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition.

Two men on a motorbike fired several rounds on a tourist vehicle near Delhi's historic Jama Masjid injuring two Taiwanese nationals on September 19,2010, days ahead of the Commonwealth Games held here. The Indian Mujahideen again had claimed responsibility for the strike.