To get recruits,Yasin used videos of Saddam death

Yasin,now carrying a reward of Rs 15 lakh,is well-versed in Urdu theology and police said he held religious meetings to mobilise students and showed them clippings of alleged atrocities against Muslims the world over. One of those he allegedly influenced,and who has now been arrested,is Abdur Rahman,19,a first year engineering student.

Yasin is wanted in the Jama Masjid attack,the Pune German Bakery blast and the Chinnaswamy Stadium blast in Bangalore. Six members of his group have been arrested and he is one of the six at large.

Yasin was allegedly the centre of the network and created several smaller groups,ensuring that members of one didn’t know those in another. Police said Nepal was their transit point. Abdul Subhan Qureshi alias Tauqeer alias Zakir,the alleged mastermind behind the 2008 serial blasts,escaped from Nepal; Mohd Adil alias Ajmal,a native of Karachi,entered India via Nepal; the Bhatkal brothers too escaped from Nepal,police said.

Besides taking in recruits,they said,Yasin also provided arms and ammunition,prepared bombs and made his aides do a recce of targeted areas before planning an attack.

He uses various names,grew a beard that he since shaven off,has curls,and likes jeans and T-shirts,an officer said.

Most of the six members arrested are new recruits,an exception being Mohd Irshad Khan whose role in various attacks are being investigated. Police said Yasin masterminded the attack on foreigners at the Jama Masjid on September 19,2010.

“Mohd Adil was riding the bike while Siddiqi opened fire. However,he accidentally shot at Mohd Adil,injuring him in the hip,because of which they fled,” said an officer.