Shailendra Mohan, Hindustan Times
Mumbai, December 25, 2010First Published: 01:16 IST(25/12/2010)
A 30-year-old woman, who alleged she was a victim of road rage, had a tough time getting a police complaint registered because she was shunted between two police stations. The victim, Janice Pearl D’Souza, said she did even not get any help from the much-publicised special helpline for women and children, 103, launched a few months ago.
All this, despite a circular issued by commissioner of police Sanjeev Dayal in August, about how to deal with women complainants. Dayal had instructed police stations to maintain a logbook for women visiting the police station.
The incident occurred at 9.30am on Monday when D’Souza was driving to Saki Vihar near Powai for a meeting. Near Holy Trinity Church, an Indica allegedly overtook her in a rash manner, damaging the bumper of her car.
D’Souza, a corporate trainer, stopped the driver and confronted him. “He got abusive and threatened to beat me,” D’Souza told the Hindustan Times.
“He then hit me on my face. He would have hit me more if an old gentleman had not stopped him.”
She managed to click photographs of the Indica driver using her mobile phone.
Janice proceeded for her meeting but when she started experiencing severe pain in her left ear, she decided to go to the police. “I went to Powai police station at around 5pm and narrated the incident. They were very nice and heard me but told me that the place where the incident took place did not come under their jurisdiction,” she said. “They directed me to Park Site police station.” The law says a police station should register a complaint even if the incident has not occurred in its jurisdiction.
The Park Site police insisted that D’Souza first get a medical check-up.
“The police station is in a slum-dominated area and it was late. I was alone and scared so I left and returned home,” D’Souza said.
She called 103 on Tuesday morning. “They directed me to go to the police station. When I told them I had already done that, they said they can’t help beyond that,” she said.
Senior police inspector at Powai police station, Ashok Jadhav, said he was unaware of the matter and would look into it. Senior inspector of Park Site police station, LM Bhure, was unavailable for comment. Dayal sought details of the incident and said he would look into it.
The assault has left D’Souza with blood clots in her ear and what medical tests have described as a “traumatic perforation” in her eardrum.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Urban centres may be Maoists’ next target: Intel
Shailendra Mohan, Hindustan Times
Mumbai, December 20, 2010First Published: 01:49 IST(20/12/2010)
Police intelligence in the state has cautioned that naxal activities may not be restricted to the far-flung eastern corridor of the state in future. The Maoists have been augmenting their resources and making serious efforts to penetrate and target urban centres across the state.
Highly-placed sources in the state (police) intelligence told HT that there has been phenomenal increase in the cadre strength of the Maoists over the last three decades. This would give them an edge in launching ambushes on security forces even without forest cover. The membership drive carried out by the naxals was not always be voluntary, but in most cases recruits had been coerced into joining the ranks through threats and blackmail.
The security agencies are also alarmed over the fact that the People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA), the combatant wing of the Maoists, has exhorted even those from middleclass backgrounds to join their struggle, in its latest pamphlet. (HT report on December 6).
“A major policy decision was taken in 2007 by the Maoist leadership. According to that, naxals know that jungle warfare and ambushes have not given them the required mileage. So, they have now decided to come out of the jungles,” said KP Raghuvanshi, additional director general of police (law and order). “The naxals have always used urban centres for hiding or for extending medical aid to injured comrades,” Raghuvanshi added. Sources, however, maintained that naxals are now looking at urban centres as targets and are preparing to create grounds before launching assault. “They are infiltrating trade unions and trying to garner support from people affected by government projects,” said an officer on condition of anonymity, while adding that a road map had been prepared on this by the top leaders for motivation and indoctrination. “The idea is simple – force the government machinery to react and then use that reaction to instigate more people and get them to join the fold,” the officer said, while adding that naxal leaders had participated in several meetings held in various parts of Mumbai.
“ We have evidence that they have held meetings in Santacruz some time ago and even in adjoining Thane,” the officer said.
Mumbai, December 20, 2010First Published: 01:49 IST(20/12/2010)
Police intelligence in the state has cautioned that naxal activities may not be restricted to the far-flung eastern corridor of the state in future. The Maoists have been augmenting their resources and making serious efforts to penetrate and target urban centres across the state.
Highly-placed sources in the state (police) intelligence told HT that there has been phenomenal increase in the cadre strength of the Maoists over the last three decades. This would give them an edge in launching ambushes on security forces even without forest cover. The membership drive carried out by the naxals was not always be voluntary, but in most cases recruits had been coerced into joining the ranks through threats and blackmail.
The security agencies are also alarmed over the fact that the People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA), the combatant wing of the Maoists, has exhorted even those from middleclass backgrounds to join their struggle, in its latest pamphlet. (HT report on December 6).
“A major policy decision was taken in 2007 by the Maoist leadership. According to that, naxals know that jungle warfare and ambushes have not given them the required mileage. So, they have now decided to come out of the jungles,” said KP Raghuvanshi, additional director general of police (law and order). “The naxals have always used urban centres for hiding or for extending medical aid to injured comrades,” Raghuvanshi added. Sources, however, maintained that naxals are now looking at urban centres as targets and are preparing to create grounds before launching assault. “They are infiltrating trade unions and trying to garner support from people affected by government projects,” said an officer on condition of anonymity, while adding that a road map had been prepared on this by the top leaders for motivation and indoctrination. “The idea is simple – force the government machinery to react and then use that reaction to instigate more people and get them to join the fold,” the officer said, while adding that naxal leaders had participated in several meetings held in various parts of Mumbai.
“ We have evidence that they have held meetings in Santacruz some time ago and even in adjoining Thane,” the officer said.
Police to monitor agitations in state
Shailendra Mohan, Hindustan Times
Mumbai, December 19, 2010First Published: 02:34 IST(19/12/2010)
All agitations in the state are under scanner for their possible link with naxalites, senior state police officials have revealed. According to sources in the state police headquarters, the analyses of some of the agitations in the recent past have shown that the crowd was either being led by naxalites or was being instigated against the authorities by them.
"There are instances such as the burning of coaches of Deccan Queen and a commuter train at Ulhasnagar in 2006 and the protests that we saw in Raigad against a proposed Special Economic Zone in 2008. The analyses that we carried out after these protests showed that there was clear involvement of elements that have been associated with naxalites," a senior police officer told Hindustan Times on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to media.
In 2006, the trains had been burnt following news of desecration of a statue of Babasaheb Ambedkar in Kanpur.
"It, however, happened about a month after the killing of a dalit family in Khairlanji. The news of desecration became a trigger and the crowd went berserk," the officer said.
He added that it was after a probe into the train burnings that they figured that the protests had been led by some individuals who had instigated the crowd to attack the trains.
The senior police officer said that they also found that the same elements were involved at various levels in different protests against the state government.
"We have carried out some analyses and we are alert over such developments," said additional director general of police KP Raghuvanshi.
He, however, added that there is no such intelligence on it.
Another state police official told the Hindustan Times that the police are also keeping a watch on the protests at Jaitapur against the proposed nuclear power plant.
"Some of the faces that are leading the protests are same and we know about their leanings so we are not taking any chances," he added.
He said that such issues offer naxalites an opportunity to create "just the kind of environment" that they want to prevail.
"They instigate people by telling them that the state has wronged them and get them to organize protests against the authorities," the officer explained. Then when the government cracks down on the protests, the naxalites tell the people that they need to take up arms against the state, thus leading to a vicious cycle.
"We want to keep an eye on such protests as it would help us contain the situation and nip the problem in its bud," the officer added.
Mumbai, December 19, 2010First Published: 02:34 IST(19/12/2010)
All agitations in the state are under scanner for their possible link with naxalites, senior state police officials have revealed. According to sources in the state police headquarters, the analyses of some of the agitations in the recent past have shown that the crowd was either being led by naxalites or was being instigated against the authorities by them.
"There are instances such as the burning of coaches of Deccan Queen and a commuter train at Ulhasnagar in 2006 and the protests that we saw in Raigad against a proposed Special Economic Zone in 2008. The analyses that we carried out after these protests showed that there was clear involvement of elements that have been associated with naxalites," a senior police officer told Hindustan Times on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to media.
In 2006, the trains had been burnt following news of desecration of a statue of Babasaheb Ambedkar in Kanpur.
"It, however, happened about a month after the killing of a dalit family in Khairlanji. The news of desecration became a trigger and the crowd went berserk," the officer said.
He added that it was after a probe into the train burnings that they figured that the protests had been led by some individuals who had instigated the crowd to attack the trains.
The senior police officer said that they also found that the same elements were involved at various levels in different protests against the state government.
"We have carried out some analyses and we are alert over such developments," said additional director general of police KP Raghuvanshi.
He, however, added that there is no such intelligence on it.
Another state police official told the Hindustan Times that the police are also keeping a watch on the protests at Jaitapur against the proposed nuclear power plant.
"Some of the faces that are leading the protests are same and we know about their leanings so we are not taking any chances," he added.
He said that such issues offer naxalites an opportunity to create "just the kind of environment" that they want to prevail.
"They instigate people by telling them that the state has wronged them and get them to organize protests against the authorities," the officer explained. Then when the government cracks down on the protests, the naxalites tell the people that they need to take up arms against the state, thus leading to a vicious cycle.
"We want to keep an eye on such protests as it would help us contain the situation and nip the problem in its bud," the officer added.
Thanks, but no thanks
Sujit Mahamulkar & Shailendra Mohan, Hindustan Times
Mumbai, December 13, 2010First Published: 01:50 IST(13/12/2010)
The state government has turned down the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) application to probe an alleged misappropriation of crores of rupees from funds sanctioned under a central government scheme by officials of the Mira-Bhayander Municipal Corporation (MBMC). The funds had been sanctioned under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), a scheme to improve quality of urban infrastructure and reduce poverty.
The CBI had written to the state on May 21 saying it needed to investigate some MBMC officials for the misappropriation of more than Rs 41 crore (Rs 29.99 crore from the Centre and Rs 12.42 crore from the state). Deputy secretary Dr Deepak Mhaiskar, replied to the CBI on behalf of chief secretary JP Dange on November 25, turning down the request saying after examining the matter the state did not find it a case fit for CBI investigation.
Rishiraj Singh, joint director of CBI (Zone I, Mumbai) confirmed that the state had denied permission.
Sources from the CBI said the Centre had approved MBMC’s underground drainage system project under the JNNURM. The project cost was pegged at Rs 394 crore but the JNNURM’s Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee sanctioned Rs 331.42 crore.
The Centre contributed Rs 115.99 crore (35 % share).
“The MBMC escalated the estimated project cost from Rs 331 crore to Rs 453 crore and sanctioned 10% of the tender value to a bidder as advance, without approval from any authority,” a CBI official said requesting anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media.
The CBI alleged despite the advance payment there has been no progress on the project.
Pravin Salunkhe, deputy inspector general of the CBI’s Anti-Corruption Branch, said it needed permission to investigate the matter because central government funds were involved.
“Investigation would have helped us find out the extent of misappropriation and whether any central government officials were involved,” Salunkhe said.
Dange said he had referred the case to the urban development (UD) department. “The UD discussed it with their boss, the chief minister, and told the CBI since the department was conducting a probe there was no need for another.”
The 79-member MBMC house is governed by the ruling Congress-Nationalist Congress Party alliance. MBMC commissioner Shivmurti Naik denied the allegations. “The project was envisaged in 2005-2006 and an estimate was prepared going by costs at that time,” Naik said.
“However, by the time the Centre passed it in 2008-2009, the costs had risen and we got a tender of Rs 412 crore, which the Centre cleared. We paid a 10% advance to the company because this is the rule in Maharashtra.”
Naik said 14% of the work has been completed and that payments were audited at three levels — first by a consultant, then by a central government auditor and finally the MBMC’s auditor — before payments are made.
Sanjay Pange, the MBMC corporator who had complained to the CBI about the alleged misappropriation in July 2009, said he would continue to pursue the matter.
Mumbai, December 13, 2010First Published: 01:50 IST(13/12/2010)
The state government has turned down the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) application to probe an alleged misappropriation of crores of rupees from funds sanctioned under a central government scheme by officials of the Mira-Bhayander Municipal Corporation (MBMC). The funds had been sanctioned under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), a scheme to improve quality of urban infrastructure and reduce poverty.
The CBI had written to the state on May 21 saying it needed to investigate some MBMC officials for the misappropriation of more than Rs 41 crore (Rs 29.99 crore from the Centre and Rs 12.42 crore from the state). Deputy secretary Dr Deepak Mhaiskar, replied to the CBI on behalf of chief secretary JP Dange on November 25, turning down the request saying after examining the matter the state did not find it a case fit for CBI investigation.
Rishiraj Singh, joint director of CBI (Zone I, Mumbai) confirmed that the state had denied permission.
Sources from the CBI said the Centre had approved MBMC’s underground drainage system project under the JNNURM. The project cost was pegged at Rs 394 crore but the JNNURM’s Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee sanctioned Rs 331.42 crore.
The Centre contributed Rs 115.99 crore (35 % share).
“The MBMC escalated the estimated project cost from Rs 331 crore to Rs 453 crore and sanctioned 10% of the tender value to a bidder as advance, without approval from any authority,” a CBI official said requesting anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media.
The CBI alleged despite the advance payment there has been no progress on the project.
Pravin Salunkhe, deputy inspector general of the CBI’s Anti-Corruption Branch, said it needed permission to investigate the matter because central government funds were involved.
“Investigation would have helped us find out the extent of misappropriation and whether any central government officials were involved,” Salunkhe said.
Dange said he had referred the case to the urban development (UD) department. “The UD discussed it with their boss, the chief minister, and told the CBI since the department was conducting a probe there was no need for another.”
The 79-member MBMC house is governed by the ruling Congress-Nationalist Congress Party alliance. MBMC commissioner Shivmurti Naik denied the allegations. “The project was envisaged in 2005-2006 and an estimate was prepared going by costs at that time,” Naik said.
“However, by the time the Centre passed it in 2008-2009, the costs had risen and we got a tender of Rs 412 crore, which the Centre cleared. We paid a 10% advance to the company because this is the rule in Maharashtra.”
Naik said 14% of the work has been completed and that payments were audited at three levels — first by a consultant, then by a central government auditor and finally the MBMC’s auditor — before payments are made.
Sanjay Pange, the MBMC corporator who had complained to the CBI about the alleged misappropriation in July 2009, said he would continue to pursue the matter.
Suspect joined LeT 'to earn, benefit his village'
Shailendra Mohan, Hindustan Times
Mumbai, December 11, 2010First Published: 01:41 IST(11/12/2010)
Mohammed Shareif Makhandeep Thakkar, one of the two suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives arrested last month from Thane, has reportedly told his interrogators that he had joined the terror outfit not just for money but to also benefit his village. The 33-year-old has reportedly told the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) that he decided to join the LeT because he was not making a lot of money by driving oil tankers.
"His friends, who were militants, had told him that he could earn more by joining them and so he joined the terror outfit," an ATS officer said on condition of anonymity.
Moreover, the officer added, Shareif said this would also benefit his village in Kashmir because if he carried out any terror act in his village Gokhrot in Rajouri district or in its vicinity, the Army would have had to move in.
"Once the military would have moved in, it would have built roads and provided other facilities, such as setting up health camps, in the village," Shareif reportedly told the investigators.
When the Army sets up camp, it also provides small-time jobs to locals and, at times, also distributes free food and other material, which would have benefited his village, he added.
Sharief and his accomplice, Mohammed Isaac Mohammed Rashid Kumlakh, had been arrested with two pistols and 11 cartridges on November 15. After interrogation, the ATS had booked them under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
The ATS claimed that two suspected LeT operatives had conducted a reconnaissance of military installations in Mumbai, Pune and Aurangabad, and had been asked to recruit oil tanker drivers who knew the roads and oil installations in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Investigations have revealed that some of the power plants, refineries and even the Mumbai Central station were on their target list.
The ATS said that Shareif's claims that he had joined the LeT to help his village will neither affect their investigation, nor divert their focus.
"We have prevented a major act of terror by nabbing him and his associate as they had access to some very important installations in the country," the ATS officer added.
Mumbai, December 11, 2010First Published: 01:41 IST(11/12/2010)
Mohammed Shareif Makhandeep Thakkar, one of the two suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives arrested last month from Thane, has reportedly told his interrogators that he had joined the terror outfit not just for money but to also benefit his village. The 33-year-old has reportedly told the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) that he decided to join the LeT because he was not making a lot of money by driving oil tankers.
"His friends, who were militants, had told him that he could earn more by joining them and so he joined the terror outfit," an ATS officer said on condition of anonymity.
Moreover, the officer added, Shareif said this would also benefit his village in Kashmir because if he carried out any terror act in his village Gokhrot in Rajouri district or in its vicinity, the Army would have had to move in.
"Once the military would have moved in, it would have built roads and provided other facilities, such as setting up health camps, in the village," Shareif reportedly told the investigators.
When the Army sets up camp, it also provides small-time jobs to locals and, at times, also distributes free food and other material, which would have benefited his village, he added.
Sharief and his accomplice, Mohammed Isaac Mohammed Rashid Kumlakh, had been arrested with two pistols and 11 cartridges on November 15. After interrogation, the ATS had booked them under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
The ATS claimed that two suspected LeT operatives had conducted a reconnaissance of military installations in Mumbai, Pune and Aurangabad, and had been asked to recruit oil tanker drivers who knew the roads and oil installations in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Investigations have revealed that some of the power plants, refineries and even the Mumbai Central station were on their target list.
The ATS said that Shareif's claims that he had joined the LeT to help his village will neither affect their investigation, nor divert their focus.
"We have prevented a major act of terror by nabbing him and his associate as they had access to some very important installations in the country," the ATS officer added.
‘I was beaten up, accused of causing loss to firm’
Shailendra Mohan, Hindustan Times
Mumbai, December 06, 2010First Published: 01:00 IST(6/12/2010)
A corporate employee, who was allegedly assaulted by his employers, claimed that he had to run from pillar to post for more than a month before the police registered his case. But the police have refuted his allegations saying that himself did not want to register the FIR. Ranjeet Jha, 33, was the general manager (treasury) of Goenka Diamonds and Jewels Limited, which has its office at Pareekh Mansion in Opera House. He was in charge of handling foreign exchange and treasury. He had been working with the firm for about four months.
In his FIR, Jha stated that in October he had warned Navneet Goenka, the firm’s managing director, that their trade in foreign exchange could cause them losses. But Navneet insisted on holding on to the deal and it caused them a loss of Rs 7 crore.
Navneet’s father, Nandlal, abused Jha blaming him for the loss. Jha decided to quit but Navneet insisted on meeting him and called him to his office on October 22.
Jha alleged that while he was waiting for Navneet, the company’s COO Arvind Gupta asked him to wait inside Navneet’s cabin. Later, Navneet and his father Nandlal came in and, they started assaulting me, Jha alleged.
“Navneet’s brother, Nitin, joined them and they kept hitting me with their hands, feet and shoes,” Jha alleged. He started bleeding but they did not stop. Jha alleged that another employee, Pradeep Poddar, also assaulted him.
Jha claimed that they made him sign on blank stamp papers and write a suicide note. “They threatened to kill me,” Jha said. They sent a man to his house to collect his passport and other educational certificates from his house.
They then kept him confined in the office. On October 23, Jha managed to call his friend from the office phone as his cell phone was taken away by his assaulters. His friend informed the police, who rescued him.
Jha said he was so frightened that he did not register an FIR that day.
He added that the DB Marg police officers told him to compromise with his assaulters.
Nagappa Mali, senior police inspector of DB Marg police station, said: “Jha kept running away. We are not going to chase him for that.”
Jha said that the police asked him to register a non-cognisable offence (NC) and that they would ask his employers to return him all documents and the blank stamp papers.
When Jha did not get his papers back, he decided to register an FIR but Mali assured him that he would get his papers back and made him file NCs.
Mali said that Jha had compromised with his assaulters. When asked if the compromise took place in police presence, Mali replied in negative.
On December 1, Jha contacted Nawal Bajaj, additional commissioner of police, who directed the local police to register an FIR. The next day, Jha’s FIR was registered by DB Marg police but the police are yet to act on it.
When the Hindustan Times contacted Navneet over the allegations, he said that he was unaware about it. Bajaj was unavailable for comment.
Mali said an FIR has been filed but no one has been arrested or questioned. “We will call them for questioning on Monday,” Mali said.
Mumbai, December 06, 2010First Published: 01:00 IST(6/12/2010)
A corporate employee, who was allegedly assaulted by his employers, claimed that he had to run from pillar to post for more than a month before the police registered his case. But the police have refuted his allegations saying that himself did not want to register the FIR. Ranjeet Jha, 33, was the general manager (treasury) of Goenka Diamonds and Jewels Limited, which has its office at Pareekh Mansion in Opera House. He was in charge of handling foreign exchange and treasury. He had been working with the firm for about four months.
In his FIR, Jha stated that in October he had warned Navneet Goenka, the firm’s managing director, that their trade in foreign exchange could cause them losses. But Navneet insisted on holding on to the deal and it caused them a loss of Rs 7 crore.
Navneet’s father, Nandlal, abused Jha blaming him for the loss. Jha decided to quit but Navneet insisted on meeting him and called him to his office on October 22.
Jha alleged that while he was waiting for Navneet, the company’s COO Arvind Gupta asked him to wait inside Navneet’s cabin. Later, Navneet and his father Nandlal came in and, they started assaulting me, Jha alleged.
“Navneet’s brother, Nitin, joined them and they kept hitting me with their hands, feet and shoes,” Jha alleged. He started bleeding but they did not stop. Jha alleged that another employee, Pradeep Poddar, also assaulted him.
Jha claimed that they made him sign on blank stamp papers and write a suicide note. “They threatened to kill me,” Jha said. They sent a man to his house to collect his passport and other educational certificates from his house.
They then kept him confined in the office. On October 23, Jha managed to call his friend from the office phone as his cell phone was taken away by his assaulters. His friend informed the police, who rescued him.
Jha said he was so frightened that he did not register an FIR that day.
He added that the DB Marg police officers told him to compromise with his assaulters.
Nagappa Mali, senior police inspector of DB Marg police station, said: “Jha kept running away. We are not going to chase him for that.”
Jha said that the police asked him to register a non-cognisable offence (NC) and that they would ask his employers to return him all documents and the blank stamp papers.
When Jha did not get his papers back, he decided to register an FIR but Mali assured him that he would get his papers back and made him file NCs.
Mali said that Jha had compromised with his assaulters. When asked if the compromise took place in police presence, Mali replied in negative.
On December 1, Jha contacted Nawal Bajaj, additional commissioner of police, who directed the local police to register an FIR. The next day, Jha’s FIR was registered by DB Marg police but the police are yet to act on it.
When the Hindustan Times contacted Navneet over the allegations, he said that he was unaware about it. Bajaj was unavailable for comment.
Mali said an FIR has been filed but no one has been arrested or questioned. “We will call them for questioning on Monday,” Mali said.
Defiant Maoists carrying out recruitment drive in state
Shailendra Mohan/Stavan Desai, Hindustan Times
Mumbai, December 06, 2010First Published: 00:36 IST(6/12/2010)
In open defiance of security agencies, Maoists have organised a grand recruitment drive in Maharashtra on the tenth anniversary of the formation of Peoples’ Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA). The drive that started on December 2, will continue till December 31. The PLGA has exhorted people from both the labour class and the educated, salaried class to join their ‘cause’.
A pamphlet printed in red ink, which is available with HT, claims that the PLGA has achieved many successes against the police of various states and para-military forces and urges those earning less than Rs 20 a day join their fight against the “repressive” state.
KP Raghuvanshi, additional director general (law and order), said the naxalites were trying to increase their cadre strength. “The people are now disillusioned with them and no one joins them voluntarily anymore. Most of the recruits in recent times have been roped in through intimidation, threats or blackmail,” Raghuvanshi said, adding that the state police, along with the Central forces, had been carrying out area domination operations in naxalite-affected areas.
“The Central Reserve Police Force, Special Operation Group, C-60 commandoes and CoBRA commandoes are all part of the operation,” he said.
Deputy inspector general (anti-naxalite operation) Sunil Ramanand said that he was himself leading the area domination operations.
Meanwhile, for the first time, naxalites have claimed that Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal, naxalites have set up alternative governments.
Mumbai, December 06, 2010First Published: 00:36 IST(6/12/2010)
In open defiance of security agencies, Maoists have organised a grand recruitment drive in Maharashtra on the tenth anniversary of the formation of Peoples’ Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA). The drive that started on December 2, will continue till December 31. The PLGA has exhorted people from both the labour class and the educated, salaried class to join their ‘cause’.
A pamphlet printed in red ink, which is available with HT, claims that the PLGA has achieved many successes against the police of various states and para-military forces and urges those earning less than Rs 20 a day join their fight against the “repressive” state.
KP Raghuvanshi, additional director general (law and order), said the naxalites were trying to increase their cadre strength. “The people are now disillusioned with them and no one joins them voluntarily anymore. Most of the recruits in recent times have been roped in through intimidation, threats or blackmail,” Raghuvanshi said, adding that the state police, along with the Central forces, had been carrying out area domination operations in naxalite-affected areas.
“The Central Reserve Police Force, Special Operation Group, C-60 commandoes and CoBRA commandoes are all part of the operation,” he said.
Deputy inspector general (anti-naxalite operation) Sunil Ramanand said that he was himself leading the area domination operations.
Meanwhile, for the first time, naxalites have claimed that Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal, naxalites have set up alternative governments.
‘Power plants could have been on hit list’
Shailendra Mohan, Hindustan Times
Mumbai, December 02, 2010First Published: 02:33 IST(2/12/2010)
One of the suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba operative Mohammed Shareif Thakkar was highly motivated to have carried out a suicide attack and he may have delayed the attack only due to pressure on Pakistan following the 26/11 attack, said a source who is part of the Anti-Terrorism Squad’s investigating team.
The two — Thakkar, 33, and Mohammed Issac Mohammed Rashid Kumlakh, 29 — were arrested outside a bar and restaurant at Kapurbawdi in Thane on November 15.
The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) have booked them under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
An investigator told Hindustan Times that Shareif and Kumlakh had access to all targets in the country. “They have been driving oil tankers for several years and have visited almost all refineries, power plants, petro-chemical plants and every such installation where oil tanker can go,” the officer said on condition anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to the media.
“From our interrogation, we can say that Shareif was highly motivated and he could have carried out an attack even without using any explosive. He could have simply rammed his tanker into something inside an installation. The oil in the tanker would have been enough to cause a major damage,” the officer.
He said interrogations have revealed that power plants could have been on the list of a probable attack.
“A few years ago, the ministry of home affairs had issued an alert to look for such a plot,” the officer said.
“This has exposed a major chink in our security. It should have been common sense that we should have kept a watch on such people,” the officer said.
The two had access to the docks as well, he added.
He said the ATS men are checking the truck terminals and looking for drivers who might have been in touch with the duo.
“The companies outsource hiring of oil tanker drivers to contractors and beyond that they do not have capacity to carry out checks which could have led to major consequences had these two not been arrested,” he said.
Mumbai, December 02, 2010First Published: 02:33 IST(2/12/2010)
One of the suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba operative Mohammed Shareif Thakkar was highly motivated to have carried out a suicide attack and he may have delayed the attack only due to pressure on Pakistan following the 26/11 attack, said a source who is part of the Anti-Terrorism Squad’s investigating team.
The two — Thakkar, 33, and Mohammed Issac Mohammed Rashid Kumlakh, 29 — were arrested outside a bar and restaurant at Kapurbawdi in Thane on November 15.
The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) have booked them under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
An investigator told Hindustan Times that Shareif and Kumlakh had access to all targets in the country. “They have been driving oil tankers for several years and have visited almost all refineries, power plants, petro-chemical plants and every such installation where oil tanker can go,” the officer said on condition anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to the media.
“From our interrogation, we can say that Shareif was highly motivated and he could have carried out an attack even without using any explosive. He could have simply rammed his tanker into something inside an installation. The oil in the tanker would have been enough to cause a major damage,” the officer.
He said interrogations have revealed that power plants could have been on the list of a probable attack.
“A few years ago, the ministry of home affairs had issued an alert to look for such a plot,” the officer said.
“This has exposed a major chink in our security. It should have been common sense that we should have kept a watch on such people,” the officer said.
The two had access to the docks as well, he added.
He said the ATS men are checking the truck terminals and looking for drivers who might have been in touch with the duo.
“The companies outsource hiring of oil tanker drivers to contractors and beyond that they do not have capacity to carry out checks which could have led to major consequences had these two not been arrested,” he said.
Alert issued to all oil installations
Shailendra Mohan, Hindustan Times
Mumbai, November 30, 2010First Published: 01:06 IST(30/11/2010)
Sources in the intelligence bureau said using oil tankers to target vital installations is Lashkar-e-Taiba’s (LeT) latest plan and an alert to all such installations has been issued, asking that utmost precaution be taken while hiring staff, even vehicle drivers. Pictures of a threat from an oil tanker or an aircraft had been uploaded on an LeT operative’s social networking site.
Also, David Coleman Headley, the LeT operative in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), had told NIA about a possible attack on oil installations. Headley had told his interrogators that Sajid Majid, a senior LeT operative, had informed him of a sanction to attack India again after 26/11.
Sajid had showed Headley a Google map of an oil refinery in Gujarat, and was keen to attack it. Hindustan Times had first reported on October 25 that Headley had visited Gujarat in November 2008 during his stay in India.
Maria said the duo had been working with NM Sons Transport Company in Talasari. While Sharief had been living in the city for 12 years, Issac came here five years ago. Sharief even had a driving licence, issued by the Tardeo RTO.
“After interrogation, we charged them under Section 15,16,18, 18 (b) and 20 of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) on November 21,” Maria said. The duo has been charged with being members of a terror group, conspiring to commit a terror act and recruiting people for terror activities.
“Isaac’s cousin Mohammed Ayub was killed in an encounter two years ago, while Sharief was Ayub’s classmate,” Maria said, adding that the duo was approached by terror groups when they visited their village in Gakhroth, J&K, but they joined LeT only six months ago.
Maria said they were supposed to go for training to Pakistan after Eid, November 17, but were picked up before that.
Maria said the duo had given them the names of some of the people they had contacted. ‘They are being questioned,” he said, adding that the duo had been remanded in police custody till December 2. Maria denied that the duo was planning a suicide attack.
Meanwhile, the Gujarat police are likely to seek interrogation of the nabbed terrorists as they were on a mission to strike in Gujarat as well.
"We are in touch with Mumbai ATS officials regarding the arrests. We will seek to interrogate the duo later,” Gujarat ATS IG Ajay Kumar Tomar told the HT.
Mumbai, November 30, 2010First Published: 01:06 IST(30/11/2010)
Sources in the intelligence bureau said using oil tankers to target vital installations is Lashkar-e-Taiba’s (LeT) latest plan and an alert to all such installations has been issued, asking that utmost precaution be taken while hiring staff, even vehicle drivers. Pictures of a threat from an oil tanker or an aircraft had been uploaded on an LeT operative’s social networking site.
Also, David Coleman Headley, the LeT operative in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), had told NIA about a possible attack on oil installations. Headley had told his interrogators that Sajid Majid, a senior LeT operative, had informed him of a sanction to attack India again after 26/11.
Sajid had showed Headley a Google map of an oil refinery in Gujarat, and was keen to attack it. Hindustan Times had first reported on October 25 that Headley had visited Gujarat in November 2008 during his stay in India.
Maria said the duo had been working with NM Sons Transport Company in Talasari. While Sharief had been living in the city for 12 years, Issac came here five years ago. Sharief even had a driving licence, issued by the Tardeo RTO.
“After interrogation, we charged them under Section 15,16,18, 18 (b) and 20 of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) on November 21,” Maria said. The duo has been charged with being members of a terror group, conspiring to commit a terror act and recruiting people for terror activities.
“Isaac’s cousin Mohammed Ayub was killed in an encounter two years ago, while Sharief was Ayub’s classmate,” Maria said, adding that the duo was approached by terror groups when they visited their village in Gakhroth, J&K, but they joined LeT only six months ago.
Maria said they were supposed to go for training to Pakistan after Eid, November 17, but were picked up before that.
Maria said the duo had given them the names of some of the people they had contacted. ‘They are being questioned,” he said, adding that the duo had been remanded in police custody till December 2. Maria denied that the duo was planning a suicide attack.
Meanwhile, the Gujarat police are likely to seek interrogation of the nabbed terrorists as they were on a mission to strike in Gujarat as well.
"We are in touch with Mumbai ATS officials regarding the arrests. We will seek to interrogate the duo later,” Gujarat ATS IG Ajay Kumar Tomar told the HT.
Cops find crucial case papers
Debasish Panigrahi and Shailendra Mohan, Hindustan Times
Mumbai, November 20, 2010First Published: 02:18 IST(20/11/2010)
The Powai police have recovered crucial papers belonging to the investigation of a highly sensitive case during the probe into the rape of a minor girl. Sources at the Powai police station told Hindustan Times on Friday that the papers were related to a case that had been registered subsequent to the 2002 Gujarat riots. The case was investigated by dismissed senior police inspector Arun Borude when he was posted with the Unit 10 crime branch at Powai.
The papers, sources said were initially kept at flat no A 404 at Emerald Court building where Borude had allegedly raped the girl on multiple occasions. The papers, along with other articles, had allegedly been removed from the flat after the case was registered with the police on November 2.
While questioning the watchman of the building, the police learnt that Borude had allegedly broken the seal of the flat (which is under litigation) and shifted a few articles to a flat in another wing (C 102) and subsequently moved them outside the building premises. The police came across the registration number of the tempo that had been used to remove the articles. The owner of the tempo told the police that the articles had been stored at different places, one of those being a garage in Vile Parle (East).
During a search of the garage, the police recovered several articles, including the papers which were hidden in a tin box.
Inspector Ashok Jadhav of Powai police station confirmed that “old case papers” had been recovered. He, however, refused to comment saying: “Please ask my seniors about it.”
Prakash Mutial, deputy commissioner of police, zone 10, said: “Old papers belonging to some of his (Borude’s) past investigation (of a case) were found from the garage at Vile Parle. I have not gone through them since they are not related to the investigation of the present case.”
He said the papers had been sealed and were kept in the custody of the Powai police.
Mumbai, November 20, 2010First Published: 02:18 IST(20/11/2010)
The Powai police have recovered crucial papers belonging to the investigation of a highly sensitive case during the probe into the rape of a minor girl. Sources at the Powai police station told Hindustan Times on Friday that the papers were related to a case that had been registered subsequent to the 2002 Gujarat riots. The case was investigated by dismissed senior police inspector Arun Borude when he was posted with the Unit 10 crime branch at Powai.
The papers, sources said were initially kept at flat no A 404 at Emerald Court building where Borude had allegedly raped the girl on multiple occasions. The papers, along with other articles, had allegedly been removed from the flat after the case was registered with the police on November 2.
While questioning the watchman of the building, the police learnt that Borude had allegedly broken the seal of the flat (which is under litigation) and shifted a few articles to a flat in another wing (C 102) and subsequently moved them outside the building premises. The police came across the registration number of the tempo that had been used to remove the articles. The owner of the tempo told the police that the articles had been stored at different places, one of those being a garage in Vile Parle (East).
During a search of the garage, the police recovered several articles, including the papers which were hidden in a tin box.
Inspector Ashok Jadhav of Powai police station confirmed that “old case papers” had been recovered. He, however, refused to comment saying: “Please ask my seniors about it.”
Prakash Mutial, deputy commissioner of police, zone 10, said: “Old papers belonging to some of his (Borude’s) past investigation (of a case) were found from the garage at Vile Parle. I have not gone through them since they are not related to the investigation of the present case.”
He said the papers had been sealed and were kept in the custody of the Powai police.
Entire western coast is radicalised, says ex-Pune top cop
Shailendra Mohan, Hindustan Times
Email Author
Mumbai, November 10, 2010First Published: 01:42 IST(10/11/2010)
“The entire Western coast is radicalised and the preachers of radical ideology constantly keep moving from one place to another in different groups and guises,” says Satyapal Singh, who was Pune’s police commissioner when German Bakery was bombed on February 13, in the latest issue of Protector, Maharashtra police’s in house magazine.
Singh is now posted as additional director general of police (establishment). In the article, Tackling Terror-Some key Issues, Singh says: “Jihadi organisations working in different parts of the country may have different and deceptive (forms), having camouflages of educational, social or cultural tags.”
He says India should wake up to homegrown terror outfits and should not blindly blame the external elements for it. He adds that the banned Students Islamic Movement of India has clandestinely floated a new group called ‘The White Falcon’. “Their job is to recruit and indoctrinate children aged between five and 10 years for the jihadi movement,” Singh states.
He adds that a strategy is being applied to subvert young impressionable minds, as terrorists know that students and youngsters are highly energetic and, if convinced about the cause, they can even be moulded to conduct suicide attacks. He goes on to say the idea that terrorism is a reaction to demolition of Babri Masjid and 2002 Gujarat riots is a myth. He cites that many terror acts like the one on Parliament and in Jammu and Kashmir took place before the riots. He also cites the case of Jalees Ansari who carried out over 50 bombings in the country much before the Babri masjid was demolished.
Singh says young minds should be diverted from the path of hate by educationists, psychologists, and parents. “We should learn a lesson from the US, where no defence counsel came forward to defend the terrorists of the 9/11 terror attacks,” Singh says.
Singh was unavailable for comment as he was not in Mumbai.
Email Author
Mumbai, November 10, 2010First Published: 01:42 IST(10/11/2010)
“The entire Western coast is radicalised and the preachers of radical ideology constantly keep moving from one place to another in different groups and guises,” says Satyapal Singh, who was Pune’s police commissioner when German Bakery was bombed on February 13, in the latest issue of Protector, Maharashtra police’s in house magazine.
Singh is now posted as additional director general of police (establishment). In the article, Tackling Terror-Some key Issues, Singh says: “Jihadi organisations working in different parts of the country may have different and deceptive (forms), having camouflages of educational, social or cultural tags.”
He says India should wake up to homegrown terror outfits and should not blindly blame the external elements for it. He adds that the banned Students Islamic Movement of India has clandestinely floated a new group called ‘The White Falcon’. “Their job is to recruit and indoctrinate children aged between five and 10 years for the jihadi movement,” Singh states.
He adds that a strategy is being applied to subvert young impressionable minds, as terrorists know that students and youngsters are highly energetic and, if convinced about the cause, they can even be moulded to conduct suicide attacks. He goes on to say the idea that terrorism is a reaction to demolition of Babri Masjid and 2002 Gujarat riots is a myth. He cites that many terror acts like the one on Parliament and in Jammu and Kashmir took place before the riots. He also cites the case of Jalees Ansari who carried out over 50 bombings in the country much before the Babri masjid was demolished.
Singh says young minds should be diverted from the path of hate by educationists, psychologists, and parents. “We should learn a lesson from the US, where no defence counsel came forward to defend the terrorists of the 9/11 terror attacks,” Singh says.
Singh was unavailable for comment as he was not in Mumbai.
Cops suspect arson in 2009 RTO fire
Shailendra Mohan and Debasish Panigrahi, Hindustan Times
Mumbai , November 01, 2010First Published: 02:39 IST(1/11/2010)
The fire at the Regional Transport Office (RTO) at Thane in 2009 was not an accident. This is what the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) suspects. On February 5, 2009, a fire burnt all records of details about two and four-wheeler vehicles registered with the RTO, including professional taxes paid by commercial vehicles.
The police suspect foul play as the fire had mysteriously broken out 16 days after an Right to Information query sought details on vehicle registration and professional tax.
The RTI, filed on January 19, 2009, sought details on imported vehicles, their customs bill of entry, taxes on such vehicles, cess tax, and proof of residence provided by the importers in the past four years. Moreover, information pertaining to professional tax paid by commercial vehicles, the number of vehicles from outside Maharashtra registered with the RTO in these period (among others), had also been sought.
For the query on imported vehicles, the RTO, in its reply furnished on February 18, 2009, said the records were gutted. For the professional taxes, the RTO did not give records of three-and-a-half years. The remaining six months — June 2007 to December 2007 — it said that though it had received payments of over Rs 17 crore from owners, the receipts for the same were not available. For outstation vehicles’ registration, the RTO reiterated that the records were gutted.
“It is unlikely that all the records were kept in one section. This was never investigated,” said a senior ACB official, who is investigating the professional tax fraud at the RTO.
On October 22, the ACB had raided the Thane RTO following a tip-off that a racket was being run in the collection of professional tax from commercial vehicles. During the raid, the ACB team had come across Rs 10 lakh unaccounted cash stashed inside a locker.
The ACB on Friday conducted searches and truckloads of documents were seized —mostly fake bank challans. A senior ACB official, requesting anonymity since he is not authorised to speak to the media, said the RTO had not furnished details of the professional taxes collected by it to the transport commissioner’s office since the past three years.
ACB sources said a senior clerk, Gharat, has emerged as the key ‘coordinator’ in the scam which has been running for the past four years. They said the amount of the fraud is feared to be more than Rs 400 crore — at least Rs 100 crore every year.
Mumbai , November 01, 2010First Published: 02:39 IST(1/11/2010)
The fire at the Regional Transport Office (RTO) at Thane in 2009 was not an accident. This is what the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) suspects. On February 5, 2009, a fire burnt all records of details about two and four-wheeler vehicles registered with the RTO, including professional taxes paid by commercial vehicles.
The police suspect foul play as the fire had mysteriously broken out 16 days after an Right to Information query sought details on vehicle registration and professional tax.
The RTI, filed on January 19, 2009, sought details on imported vehicles, their customs bill of entry, taxes on such vehicles, cess tax, and proof of residence provided by the importers in the past four years. Moreover, information pertaining to professional tax paid by commercial vehicles, the number of vehicles from outside Maharashtra registered with the RTO in these period (among others), had also been sought.
For the query on imported vehicles, the RTO, in its reply furnished on February 18, 2009, said the records were gutted. For the professional taxes, the RTO did not give records of three-and-a-half years. The remaining six months — June 2007 to December 2007 — it said that though it had received payments of over Rs 17 crore from owners, the receipts for the same were not available. For outstation vehicles’ registration, the RTO reiterated that the records were gutted.
“It is unlikely that all the records were kept in one section. This was never investigated,” said a senior ACB official, who is investigating the professional tax fraud at the RTO.
On October 22, the ACB had raided the Thane RTO following a tip-off that a racket was being run in the collection of professional tax from commercial vehicles. During the raid, the ACB team had come across Rs 10 lakh unaccounted cash stashed inside a locker.
The ACB on Friday conducted searches and truckloads of documents were seized —mostly fake bank challans. A senior ACB official, requesting anonymity since he is not authorised to speak to the media, said the RTO had not furnished details of the professional taxes collected by it to the transport commissioner’s office since the past three years.
ACB sources said a senior clerk, Gharat, has emerged as the key ‘coordinator’ in the scam which has been running for the past four years. They said the amount of the fraud is feared to be more than Rs 400 crore — at least Rs 100 crore every year.
Guj refinery was LeT target: Headley
Shailendra Mohan, Hindustan Times
Mumbai, October 25, 2010First Published: 23:15 IST(25/10/2010)
US national David Coleman Headley (49), the Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT) operative currently in custody of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), told a National Investigation Agency (NIA) team that after the 26/11 attacks, LeT’s next target was an oil refinery in Gujarat. Quoting Headley, a NIA related stories
FBI shared info about LeT plot against India: Chidambaram
FBI knew Headley had LeT links in 2005
It was Delhi after Mumbai, Headley tells investigators
‘Hope Headley discloses all that he knows’
report states that the oil refinery was “probably” that of the Reliance Industries Limited.
Reliance Industries Limited has two oil refineries on the outskirts of Jamnagar, a town in west Gujarat.
Headley, during questioning at Chicago, told the NIA the plan to carry out the attack in Gujarat was being finalised even as LeT’s chief, Hafiz Saeed, was arrested in Pakistan in connection with the 26/11 attacks.
According to NIA’s report, Headley said that a senior LeT operative had informed him that they had got clearance to attack India again. “I believe that Sajid’s reference to ‘near Rahul’s city meant a city in Gujarat,” Headley told the NIA team. Later in February 2009, the operative had showed Headley a Google map of an oil refinery in Gujarat.
Headely also told the NIA team that the LeT wanted him to visit Gujarat again and survey the place before the attack.
In November 2009, HT had reported that Headley’s associate Tahawwur Rana (48) had visited Ahmedabad three months after 21 synchronised bomb explosions rocked the city on July 26, 2008.
Rana, who is also in FBI’s custody for planning terror attacks in India and Denmark, had traveled to Ahmedabad from Mumbai by a Go Air flight on November 18, 2008. Investigations revealed that a woman, Samraz Rana Akhtar had accompanied Rana during his three-day visit to Ahmedabad. They had stayed at Hotel Lemon Tree in Navrangpura area of the city and the room was booked in Samraz’s name. The hotel was situated right behind Gujarat police chief SS Khandvawala’s bungalow.
Mumbai, October 25, 2010First Published: 23:15 IST(25/10/2010)
US national David Coleman Headley (49), the Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT) operative currently in custody of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), told a National Investigation Agency (NIA) team that after the 26/11 attacks, LeT’s next target was an oil refinery in Gujarat. Quoting Headley, a NIA related stories
FBI shared info about LeT plot against India: Chidambaram
FBI knew Headley had LeT links in 2005
It was Delhi after Mumbai, Headley tells investigators
‘Hope Headley discloses all that he knows’
report states that the oil refinery was “probably” that of the Reliance Industries Limited.
Reliance Industries Limited has two oil refineries on the outskirts of Jamnagar, a town in west Gujarat.
Headley, during questioning at Chicago, told the NIA the plan to carry out the attack in Gujarat was being finalised even as LeT’s chief, Hafiz Saeed, was arrested in Pakistan in connection with the 26/11 attacks.
According to NIA’s report, Headley said that a senior LeT operative had informed him that they had got clearance to attack India again. “I believe that Sajid’s reference to ‘near Rahul’s city meant a city in Gujarat,” Headley told the NIA team. Later in February 2009, the operative had showed Headley a Google map of an oil refinery in Gujarat.
Headely also told the NIA team that the LeT wanted him to visit Gujarat again and survey the place before the attack.
In November 2009, HT had reported that Headley’s associate Tahawwur Rana (48) had visited Ahmedabad three months after 21 synchronised bomb explosions rocked the city on July 26, 2008.
Rana, who is also in FBI’s custody for planning terror attacks in India and Denmark, had traveled to Ahmedabad from Mumbai by a Go Air flight on November 18, 2008. Investigations revealed that a woman, Samraz Rana Akhtar had accompanied Rana during his three-day visit to Ahmedabad. They had stayed at Hotel Lemon Tree in Navrangpura area of the city and the room was booked in Samraz’s name. The hotel was situated right behind Gujarat police chief SS Khandvawala’s bungalow.
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