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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{short description|Founder of Indian Mujahideen, a terrorist organization}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Shah Riyaz Ahmad Mohammed Ismail Shahbandari <br/>aka Riyaz Bhatkal 
| image =
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| birth_place = [[Bhatkal]], [[Uttara Kannada]], [[Karnataka]], [[India]]
|organization = [[Indian Mujahideen]]
|death_date =
|death_place =
|resting_place =
|nationality = [[India]]n
|occupation =
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}}
'''Riyaz Bhatkal''', also known as '''Shah Riyaz Ahmad Mohammed Ismail Shahbandari''' aka '''Riyaz Ismail Shahbandri''', is the 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]].<ref name=hindu_interpol>{{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}}</ref>

==Early life==
Bhatkal was born in Karnataka and studied engineering. In his earlier days, he was an activist of [[Students Islamic Movement of India]]. And later became the Indian Mujahideen’s top military commander.<ref name=hindu_pune/>

==Militancy==
He had arranged delivery of 35 kg of explosives used in the 07/11 Mumbai blasts. He was the mastermind in planning, execution and financing of Hyderabad, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Delhi serial blasts.<ref name=pak_terrorists/>

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. The two brothers had recruited several Pune men into the Indian Mujahideen. While the two Bhatkal brother were living in a rented apartment in Khondwa, Pune they presided over terrorist networks that later carried out multiple bombings across the country.<ref name=hindu_pune>{{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}}</ref>

In May, 2008, Bhatkal is alleged to have tapped Mansoor Peerbhoy who was then working as a computer expert at Yahoo, to produce a manifesto for the media to explain his motives for the imminent bombings in Surat and Ahmedabad. On Riyaz's instructions three e-mails were sent to media by hacking the Wi-Fi network in [[Mumbai]].<ref name=pak_terrorists>{{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}}</ref>

In all the cases above Riyaz is an absconding accused. Riyaz is currently based in Delhi, India along with his brother Iqbal and operate in India with the help of [[Yasin Bhatkal]].<ref name=pak_terrorists/>

Bhatkal's name was listed in the list of ''50 most wanted'' criminals sheltered in Pakistan.<ref name=ToI_50most_wanted>{{cite news|title=India releases list of '50 most wanted' sheltered in Pak|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-05-12/india/29535715_1_india-releases-list-mohammed-ahmed-dosa-fight-terror|accessdate=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=dead}}</ref> An Investigation by [[National Investigation Agency (India)|NIA]] reveals that Riyaz was frustrated with Pakistan's [[Inter-Services Intelligence|ISI]] officials due to their bad treatment.<ref>{{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}}</ref>

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".<ref>{{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 }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhatkal, Riyaz}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1978 births]]
[[Category:Indian Islamists]]
[[Category:Indian Mujahideen members]]
[[Category:People from Uttara Kannada]]

Riyaz Bhatkal - Revision history

>GreenC bot: Reformat 2 archive links. Wayback Medic 2.5