Arms factory case: Charge sheet filed against Bhatkal, aide

“A huge quantity of IEDs, explosives materials, arms and ammunition was recovered from there,” it alleged.

The special cell had arrested Bhatkal and Akhtar in connection with the case on October 28 last year.

It had in November 2011, busted the factory located in Meer Vihar area and several alleged IM suspects were arrested.

An FIR was registered against Bhatkal on November 22, 2011 and later a non-bailable warrant was also issued against him for setting up the factory.
The police had earlier said the weapons manufacturing unit had elaborate equipment like moulding, cutting, assembly drilling and grinding machines besides explosives and rocket launchers.

Bhatkal, who hails from Bhatkal village of Udupi district in North Karnataka, is wanted in a string of terror attacks in Ahmedabad, Surat, Bangalore, Pune, Delhi and Hyderabad, the agency had said.

30-year-old Bhatkal, who was earlier associated with the banned Students Islamic Movement of India, is suspected to have hatched a conspiracy with others to wage war against India.

On February 20, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had named in a charge sheet Bhatkal, Akhtar and two other suspected operatives of IM in a case of alleged conspiracy to carry out terror acts in the country.

NIA had arrested Bhatkal, wanted in over 40 terror cases and carrying a reward of Rs 35 lakh, and Akhtar from the Indo-Nepal border on the night of August 28 last year.