February 13, 2010, seemed like any other Saturday in the upscale locality of Koregaon Park in Pune. The air was filled with the aroma of freshly baked cookies and pastries from the popular German Bakery, foreign tourists visiting the Osho International Meditation Resort strolled through the streets, young locals sought cosy spots to enjoy the chilly evening on the eve of Valentine's Day and autorickshaw drivers waited in queues for passengers — all unaware that their world was about to be shattered. In an instant, a high-intensity explosion rocked the area, killing 17 people, including five foreigners, and injuring 56 others, leaving an indelible scar on the city and its residents.
The first arrest
After the attack, the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested Mirza Himayat Baig (then aged 29 years) from the Pulgate bus stand on September 7, 2010. The ATS alleged that Baig was a member of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and claimed to have recovered about 1.2kg of RDX from his residence in Udgir in Latur district. Later in December that year, the ATS filed a chargesheet against Baig and six others, including top Indian Mujahideen (IM) operatives Riyaz Bhatkal, Iqbal Bhatkal, Yasin Bhatkal, all from Karnataka, Mohsin Choudhari of Pune and LeT commanders Fayyaz Kagzi and Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal of Beed, for their alleged role in the attack.
Planning of the attack
According to the ATS chargesheet, Baig had a "good friendship" with some of the accused persons like Abu Jundal and Fayaz Kagzi, who were also involved in the Aurangabad RDX haul of 2006. It alleged that Baig had gone to Colombo in March 2008, where he allegedly received terror training from Kagzi and Jundal. The ATS further stated that Yasin Bhatkal and Mohsin Choudhary, on the instructions of Riyaz and Iqbal Bhatkal, met Baig in Udgir to finalise their plan to plant a bomb at German Bakery in January 2010. On their instructions, Baig allegedly carried out a recce of the German Bakery on January 31, 2010. A final meeting was held in the first week of February to give the finishing touches to the plan, and on February 7, 2010, the bomb was assembled at the Global Internet cafe at Udgir, which was started by Baig.
D-day
According to the ATS, Baig, on February 8, 2010, went to Mumbai, from where he purchased two haversacks and a cell phone, which were used in the German Bakery blast. Later, on February 13, 2010, Baig and Yasin carried the explosive device in a private vehicle from Udgir to Latur. They then hailed a state transport bus from Latur to Pune. After reaching Pune, they took an autorickshaw from Pulgate bus stand to Pune railway station. They took another autorickshaw and went to Central Mall. "Yasin then planted the bomb in the haversack at the bakery around 5pm and triggered it with the help of a mobile triggering device at 6.50pm," stated the chargesheet.
Death penalty to Baig
The trial court in Pune on April 18, 2013, awarded the death penalty to Baig under Sections 10 (b), 16 (1)(a) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), Sections 302 (murder), 120 (b) (for criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and Section 3 of the Explosives Substances Act. Later, Baig filed an appeal before the Bombay High Court, where his death penalty was commuted to life imprisonment in May 2016. The Maharashtra government then moved the Supreme Court against the HC verdict commuting his death penalty. The matter is still pending before the Supreme Court. Baig is currently serving a life sentence at Nashik Central Prison. In September 2022, he was released on a parole of 45 days to meet his bedridden mother. Meanwhile, Yasin Bhatkal was arrested from the India–Nepal border in August 2013. The Maharashtra ATS filed a chargesheet against him before a court in Pune in August 2014. The case is still ongoing. Additionally, Jundal was deported from Saudi Arabia to India on June 25, 2012. However, he has not yet been arrested.
German Bakery reopens in 2013
Renovated at an estimated cost of Rs 1.5 crore, the German Bakery reopened for customers in May 2013, more than three years after the blast. The plan was to open on February 13, 2013, the third anniversary of the blast; however, it was deferred due to a technical issue as Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) insisted on the submission of a structural audit report. The bakery management said it added 40 new food items to its menu and also enhanced security, including installing metal detectors and CCTV cameras.
