Riyaz Bhatkal
{{short description|Founder of Indian Mujahideen, a terrorist organization}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Riyaz Bhatkal
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| birth_name = Shah Riyaz Ahmad Mohammed Ismail Shahbandari
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| birth_place = Bhatkal, Karnataka, India
| organization = Indian Mujahideen
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| nationality = Indian
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| relatives = Iqbal Bhatkal (brother)
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Shah Riyaz Ahmad Mohammed Ismail Shahbandari, known as Riyaz Bhatkal, is the co-founder, leader and a wanted terrorist of Indian Mujahideen, a terrorist group based in India. Riyaz Ismail Shahbandri is one of the Indian Mujahideen's three top commanders and is currently based in Karachi, Pakistan along with his brother Iqbal Bhatkal.{{cite news|title=Interpol warrant for Bangalore stadium attack suspect soon: police|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3466571.ece|accessdate=29 May 2012|newspaper=The Hindu|date=29 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531104219/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3466571.ece|archive-date=31 May 2012|url-status=live}}
Early life
He was born in Bhatkal, Karnataka and studied engineering. In his earlier days, he was an activist of Students Islamic Movement of India and later founded the Indian Mujahideen with several of its members; transforming the student organisation into a jihadist group.Jamal, A. (2012, 28 September). [https://www.refworld.org/docid/506c257b2.html A Profile of Iqbal Bhatkal: The First Indian Mujahideen Leader Added to India’s Most Wanted List]. Jamestown Foundation. Refworld.
Militancy
According to Pune Police, Mohsin Ismail Chowdhury, an accused for the German Bakery blast was recruited by Iqbal Shabandari, while Iqbal was living in Mumbai. While the two Bhatkal brothers were living in Khondwa, Pune they presided over terrorist networks that later carried out multiple bombings across the country.{{cite news|last=Swami|first=Praveen|title=In city scarred by terror, family confronts its demons|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article107856.ece|accessdate=29 May 2012|newspaper=The Hindu|date=February 17, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110205216/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article107856.ece|archive-date=10 November 2012|url-status=live}}{{cite news|last=Gupta|first=Shishir|title=Pak-based terrorists involved in cases in India|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Pak-based-terrorists-involved-in-cases-in-India/Article1-837267.aspx|accessdate=29 May 2012|newspaper=The Hindustan Times|date=April 8, 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120615005806/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Pak-based-terrorists-involved-in-cases-in-India/Article1-837267.aspx|archivedate=15 June 2012}} Attacks committed in various Indian cities by the Indian Mujahideen, including the 2008 Ahmedabad bombings, were claimed through emails sent to media on the instructions of Riyaz. He is suspected in the 2006 Mumbai train bombings where he is said to have procured the explosives used in the bombings of the suburban railway.
In all the cases above Riyaz is an absconding accused. Riyaz is currently based in Karachi, Pakistan along with his brother Iqbal where they fled to in the aftermath of the Batla House encounter in 2008. Yasin Bhatkal, another co-founder of the IM lead the group's operations while the brothers coordinated from Karachi. Yasin was later caught and sentenced to death in India and the brothers are now believed to operate their own faction of the group, dubbed the "Karachi project", with help of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence and the Lashkar-e-Taiba.{{Cite web |date=2018-01-24 |title=A short history of the Indian Mujahideen |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/a-short-history-of-the-indian-mujahideen-terror-attacks-abdul-subhan-qureshi-5036679/ |access-date=2022-08-19 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}
Bhatkal's name was listed in the list of "50 most wanted" criminals sheltered in Pakistan.{{cite news|title=India releases list of '50 most wanted' sheltered in Pak|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-releases-list-of-50-most-wanted-sheltered-in-Pak/articleshow/8258883.cms|access-date=25 June 2012|date=May 12, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105124632/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-05-12/india/29535715_1_india-releases-list-mohammed-ahmed-dosa-fight-terror|archive-date=5 November 2012|work=The Times of India|url-status=live}} An Investigation by NIA reveals that Riyaz was frustrated with Pakistan's ISI officials due to their bad treatment.{{cite web|title=Riyaz Bhatkal called ISI a Dog, says NIA Chargesheet|url=http://news.biharprabha.com/2014/02/riyaz-bhatkal-called-isi-a-dog-says-nia-chargesheet/|work=IANS|publisher=news.biharprabha.com|accessdate=24 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140711104217/http://news.biharprabha.com/2014/02/riyaz-bhatkal-called-isi-a-dog-says-nia-chargesheet/|archive-date=11 July 2014|url-status=live}}
In 2013, it was revealed that in response to a request for a nuclear weapon, Bhatkal had responded that "Anything can be arranged in Pakistan".{{cite web |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Indian-Mujahideen-wanted-to-nuke-Surat-Yasin-Bhatkal-tells-cops/articleshow/28116663.cms |title=Indian Mujahideen wanted to nuke Surat, Yasin Bhatkal tells cops |last1=Chauhan |first1=Neeraj |date=30 December 2013 |website=indiatimes.com |publisher=TNN |accessdate=29 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230025341/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Indian-Mujahideen-wanted-to-nuke-Surat-Yasin-Bhatkal-tells-cops/articleshow/28116663.cms |archive-date=30 December 2013 |url-status=live }}