Intelligence agencies in Karnataka and the rest of the country went into a tizzy after claims surfaced that top Indian Mujahideen (IM) member Riyaz Bhatkal was killed in Karachi, Pakistan.
A Marathi news channel in Mumbai first broke the news on Monday and claimed that a man, who identified himself as underworld don Chhota Rajan, telephoned the channel and claimed responsibility for the killing.
During the call, the man claimed that his aides shot dead Riyaz as well as one of his associates named Nissar Anwar last Thursday. The news was soon picked up by regional television channels in Karnataka and Maharashtra. A source in the Mumbai Crime Branch said all efforts were being made to verify the claims.
Intelligence sources in Mangalore, who claim to have come very close to nabbing Riyaz in 2008, said that it was not Riyaz but his elder brother Iqbal who was the target of the attack.
