Mateen Hafeez | TNN
Mumbai: Come Monday and the special court judge will pronounce the verdict on 26/11 gunman Ajmal Amir Kasab, in what is probably the fastest terror trial in not just the state, but the country. Before that, Maharshtra celebrates its 50th anniversary. But interestingly, there have been more terror strikes in Maharashtra and Mumbai, (except Jammu and Kashmir) between 2001 and 2010, though only 15 terrorists were killed and three convicted.Since 2001, 485 persons were killed while 2,077 were injured in 52 incidents of terrorism in the state. Data gathered by TOI from across the country shows Delhi had 100 deaths, Gujarat 87, Rajasthan 73, Andhra Pradesh 50, Karnataka 2, and there were no terror attacks in Chennai and Kolkata.
Time and again, Maharashtra has been targeted by terrorists. But even a year-and-a-half after the 26/11 attacks and a few months after Pune blasts, there have been no preventive detentions of suspects part of sleeper cells. Asked why the police do not have an effective strategy to pre-empt collaborators of various outfits, an officer replied, “On what charges should we book them?”
Clearly, the lack of political and executive will has translated into lax surveillance and poor information-gathering. The Malegaon blasts of September 2006 are a case in point. “Prime conspirator, Shabbir Masiullah, was caught much before the blasts but Mumbai crime branch police failed to extract information from him regarding the bombings,’’ said a source. The 2008 Malegaon blast also caught the IB and state intelligence sleeping.
In the last nine years, the state topped terror casualties, four times as many as the next worst-affected, Delhi. In 2001, two armed terrorists killed around a dozen people in the Parliament attack. Gujarat saw casualties in different terror attacks including the strike at Akshardham temple, Ahmedabad serial blasts etc. In Rajasthan, nine bombs killed 70 in 2008 and three were killed in a 2007 explosion at Ajmer shrine. Bangalore had 1 firing at the Indian Institute of Science, in which a researcher was killed, in 2008 eight bombs exploded killing a woman, on April 17 this year,2 blasts at Chinnaswamy stadium injured 17.
Experts say Mumbai has been repeatedly targeted due to its prominent position the city enjoys and the absence of pro-active measures to provide adequate security. Former RAW official B Raman said Mumbai has been a soft target because of its “financial status’’. “A lot of publicity is given to such attacks and the city is economically advanced than others.To prevent such attacks, a public-police relationship and a good police set up is a must,’’he said.
But only 15 terrorists were gunned down. Moreover, encounters after all blasts between 2003-07 followed a specific script—Mumbai police guns down an ‘LeT operative’ and recovers automatic rifles and ammunition from a Maruti 800. For instance,Mohammed Ali alias Osama, a Faisalabad resident, was gunned down by the ATS in a deserted building at Antop Hill. After three blasts in 2002-03, Andheri crime intelligence unit officers led by now-disgraced Pradip Sharma gunned down three alleged terrorists near Goregaon flyover on March 29, 2003. Those killed were identified as Abu Sultan (suspected to be LeT’s southern India commander), Iqbal Vani, a Srinagar resident and Abu Javed. Sultan and Javed were residents of Lahore. Police seized an AK-56, Rs 5 lakh, timers, switches, detonators and the Maruti-800 car they were travelling in, and said they were behind the Ghatkopar blast. After the Zaveri Bazaar and Gateway blasts, the crime branch gunned down two suspects, Hasan Ahmed, a Hyderabad resident and Nisar. Police claimed they were travelling in a Maruti 800 with firearms. And only three—involved in the Zaveri Bazaar blasts—were convicted.
Maharashtra’s Menace:
Terror strikes in state since January 1, 2000 to February 13, 2010
Total Killed 485 (Mumbai toll 427)
Total Injured 2,077 (Mumbai victims 1,532)
Total Terror Strikes: 52
Total Accused Arrested: 90
Total Accused Wanted: 67
Total Convicted: 3 (The Zaveri Bazaar and Gateway of India blast perpetrators, of which two got death sentence, a woman got life imprisonment)
How Others Fared :
Delhi 2000-08
Killed 100 , Injured 374
Gujarat 2002-08
Killed 87 , Injured 291
Andhra Pradesh 2007
Killed 50 , Injured 100
K’taka (Bangalore) 2005-10
Killed 2 , Injured 25
Rajasthan 2007-08
Killed 73 , Injured 223
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----MAHARASHTRA
MUMBAI
* December 2, 2002
Ghatkopar, BEST bus Killed: 2 Injured: 60
* December 6, 2002
Mumbai Central, McDonald's Killed: None Injured: 25
* Jan 27, 2003
Outside Vile Parle railway station Killed: 1 Injured: 32
* March 13, 2003
Mulund train Killed: 11 Injured: 82
* July 28, 2003
Second blast at on a BEST bus at Ghatkopar Killed: none Injured: 32
* August 25, 2003
Twin blasts at Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazar Killed: 52 Injured: 200
* July 11, 2006
Seven bomb blasts in local trains Killed: 188 Injured: 829
November 26-29, 2008: Ten trained Pakistani terrorists killed 164 people including 18 foreign nationals at 12 different locations in the city. A total of 304 persons were injured. The important locations were Hotel Taj Mahal, Hotel Trident, Nariman House, CST railway station etc. During the operations, nine terrorists were killed while one was captured alive.
TERROR STIRKE IN THE OTHER PARTS OF MAHARSHTRA
* November 21, 2003: A bomb thrown outside Parbhani's Mohammedia mosque during the Friday prayers injured five persons.
* August 27, 2004: A bomb thrown at the Jama masjid in Malipura, Jalna district injured 12.
* August 27, 2004: A bomb exploded in a mosque at Siddharth Nagar in Purna, Parbhani district injured 18.
* April 6, 2006: A bomb went off while being manufacutred by the RSS members in Nanded. Two killed on the spot, two died in the hosptial. One was injured.
* September 8, 2006: Four bombs fitted on cycles in a mosque and at a famous chowk in the textile town Malegaon killed 31, injured 312 others. SIMI was held responsible for the blast.
* June 6, 2006: Three explosions at cineraj theatre in Panvel, Thane's Gadkari Rangayatan theatre and Vashi's auditorioum injured eight. The bombs were planted by the members of Sanatan Sanstha in protest of a marathi play, Aamhi Paachpute.
* September 29, 2008: A bomb fitted on a motor cycle by the members of Abhinav Bharat outfit killed six and injured 101 others at Bhikku chowk in Malegaon.
* April 4, 2009: A bomb fitted in a mosque Beed district went off. No one was injured since the explosion occured at 3 am and no devotee was in the mosque.
* Februray 13, 2010: An RDX bomb kept at German Bakery in Koregaon Park near Osho's Ashram in Pune killed 17 and injured 56 others. Indian Mujahideen is the prime suspect in this case.
-------------------------------
-----DELHI'S DECADE OF TERROR (100 killed, 374 injured)
* September 27, 2008: A blast killed one persons and injured seven others at Mehrauli in Delhi.
* September 13, 2008: Five bombs went off in New Delhi between 6.10 pm and 6.38 pm killing 25 people and injuring 100 others. Bombs fitted in an auto, cycle and kept in dustbin went off at Ghaffar Market, Karol Bagh, Central Park, Barakhamba Road near Gopaldas building, GK I, M Block Market, GK I, M Block Market etc.
* April 14, 2006 | Jama Masjid, 14 injured in 2 blasts
* Oct 29, 2005 | Sarojini Nagar, Paharganj, Govindpuri, 59 killed, 155 injured
* May 22, 2005 | 2 cinemas, 1 killed, 60 hurt
* Dec 13, 2001: Attack on the parliament by five terrorists. Six police personnel and a civilian were killed. The terrorists were also shot down.
* Aug 11, 2001 | South Ex, 2 hurt
* May 9, 2001 | Army HQ, 1 hurt
* June 18, 2000 | Red Fort, 2 died
* Mar 16, 2000 | Sadar Bazaar, 7 injured
* Feb 27, 2000 | Paharganj, 8 hurt hurt
* Jan 6, 2000 | Old Delhi Station, 20 injured
--------GUJARAT (Killed 87, injured 291)
* September 29, 2008: A bomb blast at Modasa, a 15-year-old boy died and 12 injured.
* July 26, 2008: Twenty one blasts, spread over 70 minutes, killed 56 and injured 200 others.
* July 27-28, 2008: Twenty nine bombs were recovered.
* September 25, 2002: Two heavily armed terrorists killed 30 people and injured 79 others inside the historical Akshardham temple in Gujarat.
-----------ANDHRA PRADESH (killed 50, injured 100)
* May 18, 2007: A bomb planted inside the Hyderabad's Mecca Masjid killed nine persons and injured 50 other.
* August 25, 2007: Twin blasts at Lumbini Park and Gokul Chat in Hyderabad killed 41 people and injured 50 others.
------------Karnataka (BANGALORE) {Two killed, 25 injured}
* December 29, 2005: Unidentified man opened fire near Indian Institute of Science and killed one person
* July 25, 2008: Eight bombs exploded, one woman was killed, eight persons were injured
* April 17, 2010: Two bombs exploded at the Chinnaswaym stadium injuring 17 persons. Three other bombs were defused.
-------------RAJASTHAN: {Killed 73, injured 223}
* May 13, 2008: Nine bombs exploded within a span of 15 minutes in Jaipur. The bombs killed 70 and left 216 injured.
* October 11, 2007: Three persons were killed and seven others injured in a blast at Ajmer Sharif shrine.
------ Kolkata No terror attack
------ Chennai No terror attack
The Times of India, April 30, 2010