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The news about the arrest of Ahmed Siddibappa, better known as Indian Mujahideen chief Yasin Bhatkal, has come as a relief to his father Zara Siddibappa.
In a note sent via email to Rediff.com, Siddibappa said he and his family feared that Yasin had already been killed in an encounter.
"We are extremely relieved that Ahmed Siddibapa has been arrested, according to media reports. We are relieved because the truth will come out and our fears that he would be eliminated in a fake encounter have been set to rest. We have complete faith in the judicial process. He should be punished if he is guilty of any offence after the due process of law is followed. The cardinal principle that every person is innocent until proven guilty should be followed.
"There are lots of falsehoods being spread in the media about Ahmed Siddibapa. We wish to put the basic facts in the public domain. Ahmed Siddibapa was born in 1983. He studied at Bhatkal from Grade 1 to 10. He had never set foot on Pune to our knowledge until he disappeared from Dubai. Ahmed could not pass his tenth grade.
Ahmed left for Dubai in November 2005. Ahmed disappeared from Dubai in 2007. Despite the best efforts of the family and the Dubai intelligence, Ahmed Siddibapa could not be traced. We request the media not to conduct a media trial and allow a free and fair trial”.
The note has been signed by Zarar Siddibapa and Yasin's uncle Yakub Siddibapa.
Image: The notorious town of Bhatkal in Karnataka