‘No mediation in SpeakAsia cases’

SC ASKS ED, EOW TO CONTINUE PROBE

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: The Supreme Court has recalled its order allowing mediation for settling the complaints of investors who lost their money in schemes floated by investment firm SpeakAsia. In a recent order, the SC said the complaints are criminal in nature and facts presented before it does not justify settling the disputes through mediation. 
 
    Solomon James, one of the investors, known as panelists in the firm’s parlance, had moved the SC seeking directions for distributing Rs 141 crore in various bank accounts among them. This money was frozen by cops after a case was registered against the firm’s office-bearers. Over 175 accounts in various banks in India have been frozen. The city police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW), investigating the case against SpeakAsia for cheating over 20 lakh investors, has so arrested more than 10 persons. “According to our estimate, investors lost Rs 2,276 crore in the firm’s schemes. The SC has allowed EOW and Enforcement Directorate (ED) probing the money laundering allegations, to continue with its probe,” said Rajvardhan Sinha, additional commissioner of police, EOW.
 
    The company told the court earlier that it wanted to repay its investors and deposited $10mn (Rs 50 crore) in a Singapore bank. However, the police was not satisfied with this. “If they were interested in returning the money, why only Rs 50 crore? They should have returned the entire amount of Rs 2,276 crore. Why did they want to pay only a few hundred people, while there are over 24 lakh investors across the country?” a police officer asked.
   
 All the accused arrested in this case are out on bail. The apex court had appointed a retired SC judge as mediator, who was busy getting all the correct records of investors, the money duped and other legal things. However, the SC has now made it clear that the case does not justify settlement through mediation.  

The Times of India, September 28, 2012

High-profile jail inmates a constant worry for officials

Violence At Taloja Raises Security Concerns Yet Again

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: How safe are the state’s jails, which are home to several high-profile prisoners, for the security personnel posted there? This question has come to the fore once again in the wake of the violence at the Taloja jail. 

    On Saturday evening, a group of four inmates attacked a jailer and a few police personnel after one of them was told not to roam around after the prison’s closing time. 

    High-profile inmates such as Arun Gawli, Abu Salem and Ajmal Kasab, among several others, are lodged in jails across the state (see box). The presence of a large number of such inmates, particularly at Taloja, has become a cause for concern among the jail officials. 

    The Taloja jail, which was built in 2004 and opened in 2006, is located around 50 km from Mumbai in Raigad district. Spread over 77 acres, it is fast becoming the new hub of dreaded criminals as several suspects involved in sensitive cases have been shifted there from Mumbai’s Arthur Road jail.
    The jail houses only 1,112 inmates as against a capacity of 2,124 while. However, less than 100 police personnel have been posted there to keep an eye on the inmates. 

    Many of these prisoners are big names involved in sensitive cases. For instance, former MLA and gangster Arun Gawli —convicted in connection with the murder of Shiv Sena corporator Kamlakar Jamsandekar —is still lodged in Taloja. The jail authorities are expected to shift him to Yerwada in Pune soon. In July 2010, extradited gangster Salem was taken to Taloja from Arthur Road after he fought with D-gang member Mustafa Dossa. Salem, who was shifted for “security reasons”, is currently lodged in an anda cell. 

    Police personnel posted at the jail say the arrival of so many gangsters and big-ticket prisoners has created a law-and-order problem. “There is a constant fear of clashes breaking out between the gangsters. We want more staffers to ensure that the situation is kept under control,” said a policeman.
 

    Several of the inmates transferred to Taloja were reportedly involved in feuds with rivals or were a major security threat at other jails. Salem’s aide Hasan Mehndi, who was attacked by members of the Pandav-Putra gang at Arthur Road two years ago, was later shifted to Taloja. Irfan Shaikh and Sachin Shetty, both arrested for killing a dreaded robber at Arthur Road, were also shifted to Taloja. It is learnt that the two are seen frequently in Salem’s cell, washing his clothes or bringing him food and cigarettes.
 

    Jail sources say the gangsters and robbers meet during the day and chat for hours. “They also identify potential recruits for their gangs within the jail,” said a source. 

 

 
THE MAHA PRISON DIARIES
JAILS IN THE STATE
    Maharashtra has 56 jails, including 8 central prisons, which fall in four regions—south, north, east and west
    The Mumbai prisons fall in the south region. These include Arthur Road, three jails at Byculla, Thane, Kalyan, Alibaug, Ratnagiri, Sawantwadi and Taloja. These prisons house 6,820 prisoners  

 

BIG NAMES BEHIND BARS
    The Taloja jail is home to several high-profile prisoners. They include murder convict Arun Gawli, Chhota Rajan gang member D K Rao, D-gang’s deported member Riyaz Siddiqui, extradited gangster Abu Salem, 10 members of Abhinav Bharat suspected to be involved in the 2008 Malegaon blast, more than 30 accused in the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case, 5 accused in the 13/7 Mumbai blasts case and more than 20 members of Indian Mujahideen
    The Arthur Road jail in Mumbai was built in 1925. It currently houses big names such as 26/11 convict Ajmal Kasab, deported gangster Santosh Shetty, Mustafa Dossa of the D-gang, alleged tax evader Hasan Ali Khan and diesel don Mohammed Ali Shaikh
 

Security for the high-profile inmates
    While Kasab has been kept in an isolated, highsecurity cell, Mohammed Ali, Shetty and several blast suspects have been kept in anda (egg-shaped) cells, which are away from the general barracks
    Wherever high-profile gangsters and terror suspects are lodged, security is reviewed and deployment changed frequently 

 
The problem of inadequate staff
    All the jails in Maharashtra are understaffed. For example, to handle around 2,000 inmates, there are only 100 police personnel—who are divided into shifts—at the Arthur Road jail
    Recently, 30 constables (called rakshaks) were recruited for the state’s jails. There is a need for more than 125 constables 

How crowded are our prisons?
    Most of the prisons are overcrowded. While the Arthur Road jail has a capacity of 804 inmates, it houses 1,995 prisoners. The Thane jail has a capacity of 1,105 inmates but houses 1,984
    Jails at Taloja, Ratnagiri, Alibaug, Sawantwadi and Byculla have enough space for prisoners

The Times of India, September 25, 2012

Police to submit assault report in 2-3 days

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: The Kharghar police are taking down the statements of the Taloja jail police personnel who were allegedly beaten up by a group of inmates on Saturday evening. 

    The police said they would submit their report in court, seeking to take the four accused—Feroz Muzaffar, Mobin Shakoor, Azad Khalid and Anwar Gani—into their custody, in the next two-three days. The report, said sources, would be filed before the first-class judicial magistrate in Panvel. 

    “We are recording the statements of the victims and an FIR has also been registered. All the documents will be submitted in court to demand custody of the four accused,” said a police source. 

 

The Times of India, September 25, 2012

Told not to roam, inmates attack cops in Taloja jail

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: A group of inmates in Taloja jail attacked a jailor and a few police personnel on Saturday evening after they refused to allow one of them to move around the premises after the prison’s closing time. 

    The Kharghar police have registered the complaint of jailor Sadashvi Sawant against four accused—Feroz Muzaffar, Mobin Shakoor, Azad Khalid and Anwar Gani. “We have booked the four under sections 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 34 (common participation in a crime) of the Indian Penal Code. We are making inquiries,” said a policeman from the Kharghar police station.
    

Taloja jail houses accused in several terror cases, including the Malegaon bomb blast case.    A policeman who witnessed the incident told TOI, “One of the accused wanted go to another place around 5.30pm. As it was the jail’s closing time, the jailor posted there refused to allow him to do so. This enraged the inmate, who summoned his associates. All of a sudden, 15-17 inmates arrived and began abusing and manhandling the police. The inmates also kicked and punched some of the policemen.” 

    The incident has upset the personnel posted in and around the jail. “This comes two weeks after one of our jailors was fired at,” said a source. 

    A few years ago, an inmate, who was employed in the navy before his arrest in a murder case, had abused policemen. This had prompted another policeman present there to slap the inmate, who complained to court. The court had warned jail officers not to do so or face a fine of Rs 10,000 each. 

    Pointing out that inmates always have the upper hand, a source said, “Jail police officers are abused, taunted and provoked by undertrials almost daily, but they cannot do anything as it may result in an inquiry against them.” 

 
PAST CASES Dec 25, 2008 | A constable and an inspector are thrashed by two inmates in Thane jail after they do not allow the accused to go to another barrack
Nov 23, 2007 | Constable Mohan Joshi (53) is assaulted by convict Sachin Shinde (30) inside the hospital barrack of Thane Jail. Joshi and another constable wake up Shinde, who gets angry when they pull his blanket. Shinde bangs Joshi’s head against the wall, fracturing his skull
Aug 25, 2005 | Assistant subinspector Shahabuddin Mulani of the Arthur Road jail is stoned when he intervenes in a fight between members of Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan gangs
Feb 23, 2005 | An undertrial, Vijay Suryanarayan (20), slashes the face of jailor Kausthub Kurlekar (37) when the latter was on routine night duty in Kalyan Central prison

Taloja jail houses accused in many terror cases, including the Malegaon blast 

 

The Times of India, September 24, 2012

10 videos of anti-Islam film blocked, cops keep an eye

2 CLIPS STILL AVAILABLE

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: While the Centre’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) has blocked 10 videos of the controversial movie, Innocence of Muslims, on You-Tube, cops are worried about new videos surfacing on the internet. 

    The anti-Islam film has triggered angry demonstrations around the world and the Mumbai police booked the film’s director, producer and other crew members for creating hatred between communities last week. “We had identified 10 videos on YouTube and sent a request to the CERT to block them. These videos were blocked and we are still searching for other clips that may create law and order problems,” said a police officer .
 

    While two clips of the film can still be found on the popular video-sharing website, links to the film’s footage can be viewed in reports uploaded on news websites. A cyber crime team is working to trace such portals. “We cannot block these videos since their servers are not in India. However, we want to search all such material on the internet and send a request to block them,” said a police source. 

 

The Times of India, September 23, 2012

Police to request for fast-track trial of riot case

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: The Mumbai crime branch will request the state law and judiciary department to try the August 11 rioting and murder cases in a fasttrack court. 

    “We are talking about it and will take a final decision within a couple of days,” said Himanshu Roy, crime branchchief. “The aim isto getspeedy trial and conviction.” As many as 54 people arrested for the rioting are in jail, while a minor boy is in a juvenile remand home. A mob went on the rampage on August 11 during a rally organized to object to alleged atrocities againstMuslimsin Myanmar and Assam. “Once the trial begins in a fast- track court, it will help the prosecution bring allthewitnessestocourt. The incident is fresh and hence, the witnesses may narrate everything easily whatever they witnessed at Azad Maidan,” said Roy.
    

The post-mortem report of two youths killed during the violence stated that they had died of bullet injuries, but it is still unclear whether they werekilledin policefiring or by a member of the mobwhohadsnatched a self loading rifle from a policeman.
 

    “We have more than 60 witnesses with us. Their statements have been recorded and they will be summoned once the trial begins. We are also considering a witness protection programme to keep our witnesses’ stand in court,” said a police officer.

The Times of India, September 22, 2012

Convict who jumped parole in 2006 held

FORMER MAYOR SHOOTING CASE

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: The state ATS on Thursday arrested Abul Hasan Mistry (40), one of the three who had shot at former mayor Milind Vaidya in 1999. Mistry was convicted for life by a special Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) court. In 2006, however, Mistry jumped parole. 

 
    “We received information that he had come to Nalasopara to meet his wife and children. We picked him up on Thursday,” said ATS chief Rakesh Maria.
    

A total of eight persons were arrested for their alleged role in the shooting that took place in Mahim. The accused had used AK-47s. Seven persons were injured in the shooting. Three of the injured died later. Of the eight accused, six were convicted.
    

“Mistry was given life term and fined Rs 16 lakh. He came out on parol in 2006, but disappeared after that. While on the run, Mistry worked as a truck driver in places such as Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh,” said Maria. “Mistry was nabbed with a factory made revolver and three rounds. He has been booked under the Arms Act.”
    

Mistry has been remanded in police custody till September 27.   The Milind Vaidya case was the first conviction under MCOCA. 

 

The Times of India, September 22, 2012

Kasab shoots off mercy plea to Prez in Hindi

Mateen Hafeez & Sanjeev Shivadekar TNN

Mumbai: Convicted Pakistani gunman Ajmal Amir Kasab himself wrote his mercy petition in Hindi, which has been sent to the President’s office. Kasab was taught Hindi before entering India by Abu Jundal, an Indian operative of the Lashkar-e-Taiba who is now in police custody. 

 

 Kasab, now 25, has been convicted on 86 charges in the Mumbai carnage of November 2008. His death penalty was upheld by the Supreme Court last month.
 

    “Jail manual rules state that every convict or an undertrial should be made aware of their rights. Jail authorities helped Kasab write his mercy petition. He knows Hindi and wrote it on his own,” said a police source. The petition, Arthur Road jail authorities said, was sent to the state home department a few days ago, and from there to the President’s office. 

 
    The Maharashtra government, on its part, wants the Centre to expedite his punishment and dispose of his mercy plea, “bypassing” the existing wait list. Reacting to reports on the plea, home minister R R Patil on Tuesday said he would ask the Centre to give it a hearing on a priority basis. 

    “He has been convicted for waging a war against the nation. The Pakistani gunman’s case is different from others who have filed mercy petitions. The government should process it on priority to ensure speedy disposal of the case,” Patil said. 

    After the judgment, Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had said that Kasab’s plea would be disposed of in minimum time. As per provisions of the law, there is no time limit for disposing of a mercy petition. 

    If executed, Kasab will be the 52nd person to be hanged in India since Independence. However, jail authorities did not explain whether he wanted to go for a review of his sentence in the Supreme Court before a bigger bench. 

 

 Afzal, 28 others ahead of Kasab
Mumbai:Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab has written to the President seeking mercy for his death penalty. On August 29, a bench of Justices Aftab Alam and C K Prasad in the Supreme Court had dismissed his plea challenging his conviction and death sentence in the 26/11 case.
    

The petition copy will be forwarded from the President’s office to the Union home ministry for its remarks, from where it will be sent back to the President’s office. Kasab and nine other Pakistani terrorists who entered Mumbai on November 26, 2008, killed 166 people, including 18 foreigners.
    

Of all the terrorists, only Kasab was captured alive. Ahead of him are people such as Mohammed Afzal Guru, the terrorist condemned to the gallows for his involvement in the December 2001 Parliament attack case, awaiting decision on mercy petitions.
    

According to the home ministry's factsheet on people on the death row, a total of 29 mercy petitions seeking pardon, under Article 72 of the Constitution, are still pending with the central government. At least seven of the condemned prisoners-—six from Uttar Pradesh and one from Tamil Nadu—have been able to survive for more than 14 years as their pleas are pending with Rashtrapati Bhavan since 1998.  

 

A TERRORIST’S PLEA IN HINDI
The mercy plea—written in Hindi by Ajmal Kasab—speaks
about his case, his trial and conviction, and seeks mercy from the President of India
 

Who helped Kasab write the plea
    Kasab wrote the mercy petition with the help of Arthur Road jail offi cials. The jail sent it to Maharashtra’s law and judiciary department (home ministry). The state then forwarded it to the President of India’s office
 

What next
    The petition will be sent from the President’s offi ce to the Union home ministry for its remarks. Once the fi nal remarks are made, it will be sent back to the President’s offi ce
 

His role in the 26/11 terror attack Kasab, along with nine other gunmen, entered Mumbai on the night of November 26, 2008. While four of them entered Taj Mahal hotel, two went to Trident, two others to Nariman House (Jewish centre) and Kasab, along with his mentor, Ismail Dera Khan, to CST. They killed 166 people. Kasab was the only terrorist to be captured alive
 

The death sentence Kasab, who faced 86 charges, was tried in a special court that awarded him death penalty. Kasab then approached Bombay high court and later the Supreme Court, which upheld HC’s death sentence order last month

The Times of India, September 19, 2012

Ganesha overrides potholes & prices

Bella Jaisinghani | TNN

    Price rise and potholes forgotten, the arrival of Maharashtra’s biggest festival of Ganeshotsav on Wednesday will spread cheer among lakhs of Mumbaikars who dearly love the elephant-headed god. Over the next 10 days, households and mandals alike will celebrate the deity who has a gentle demeanour and sharp wit, whose invocation at the start of any new venture is a guarantor of success. 

    Since the past weekend, shoppers have been thronging bazaars to make last-minute purchases of decorations and sweets. Even as big and small ‘moortis’ are brought home before the actual festival, the ‘pran pratishtha’ ceremony takes place on the morning of Ganesh Chaturthi. 

 
    Pt Ravindra Nagar, acharya of the Birla Mandir in New Delhi, says, “Lord Ganesh is the ‘agra poojya’, worshipped before everybody else. He is the ‘bhadr’ (gentle) god who was born in the month of Bhadrapad. Other gods grant wealth and luck but Ganpati is the god of intelligence.” Across north India, people installed the idol of Goddess Parvati in their homes and temples on Tuesday. “After all, the mother arrives before her son,” the priest says. 

    Pt Nagar points out that the Ganesh idol is traditionally crafted from gold, silver, copper, ‘ashtadhatu’ (a combination of eight metals) or clay. “Plaster of paris is popular because it is a sturdier version of clay, although it is not the best material to use. One cannot use worship as a pretext to pollute the beautiful world that Lord Ganesh has created,” he says. 

 
    An indescribable mix of tranquillity and excitement pervades the household during the short period that god arrives as guest. Advocate Subhash Pradhan, who lives in Dadar, is president of the Shree Udyan Ganesh temple of Shivaji Park. “We wait all year for this one day that we bring the deity home. It feels as if the house turns into a shrine by his hallowed presence,” he says. “In fact, our Shivaji Park temple used to host a full calendar of bhajans, kirtans and cultural programmes each year during Ganeshotsav before the area was declared a silence zone.” 

    Apart from Shivaji Park, the Ganpati temples at Titwala and Siddhivinayak draw huge crowds over the festival. Deputy CEO of Siddhivinayak temple, Satish Mali, says, “Several families that install Ganpati stop by the temple to seek blessings before they take the idol home. Those who visit pandals at Lalbaug or GSB also make it a point to include Siddhivinayak on their itinerary. The temple also hosts an idol of the ‘parthiv Ganesh’ during the festival so that tends to draw visitors as well.” 

    Most families opt to host the idol for the duration of one-and-a-half day given that nuclear families and work schedules preclude the possibility of leisurely, elaborate celebrations. Around 1.2 lakh household Ganpatis will be immersed in the Arabian Sea off Mumbai on Thursday, and this is the reason some political parties are unwilling to support the concurrent bandh call against price rise.
 

   Understandably, devotees feel a pang of regret as they immerse their beloved god in rivers and water bodies at the close of celebrations. Pt Nagar explains this ritual saying, “Of the five elements in nature, Lord Ganesh presides over water. So it is as if he returns home upon ‘visarjan’. He is made of clay which dissolves and becomes one with Nature. Also by immersion, we request the lord to shower his bounty over the rest of the world as he has blessed us. ‘Visarjan’ makes the worshipper humble because he is letting go of something he loves so dearly.”
 

DRY DAY ONLY ON ANANT CHATURDASHI
    Mumbai will not have a dry day on September 19, the day the Ganesh festival begins. However, Anant Chaturdashi on September 29 has been declared a dry day. Talking to TOI, collectors Chandrashekhar Oke for the island city and Sanjay Deshmukh for suburban Mumbai said government rules specified only the last day of the festival as a dry day and not the first
 

 

TRANSPORT BEST BUSES | Twenty extra buses will run overnight from September 24-28 on these routes: No 1 Ltd ( Colaba to Mahim) from 11pm to 6am; 7 Ltd (SP Mukherjee chowk to Vikhroli depot) from 11.15pm to 6am; 21 Ltd (SP Mukherjee chowk to Deonar) from 10.30pm to 6am; 44 (SP Mukherjee chowk to Worli village) from 11.30pm to 6am; 63 (Vasantrao Naik chowk to Rani Laxmibai chowk) from 10pm to 6am; 66 Ltd (SP Mukherjee chowk to Rani Laxmibai chowk) from 12am-6am  

AUTOS/TAXIS | RTO has appealed to commuters to complain in writing in case of refusals, or lodge complaints on the toll-free helpline 1800-22-0110  

MSRTC BUSES | Special bus services are being operated for Konkan to clear the festival rush of passengers
 

SECURITY MEASURES PERSONNEL | More than 18,000 cops | 1,000 state police personnel | Four companies of the state reserve police force, each of 100 men | Three companies of Rapid Action Force, comprising 120 men each | 2,500 Home Guards | 500 civil defence personnel 

MANDALS | All major mandals have been told to install CCTV cameras | 500 organisers are trained in mob control and monitoring suspicious activities  

TERROR ALERT | No terror alert has been issued this year
 

 

FESTIVE WEATHER Ganesh Chaturthi revelers can take a breather as there is no likelihood of a heavy rainfall for the next two days according to the weather bureau (Inputs from Chittaranjan Tembhekar, Somit Sen, Mateen Hafeez & Pratibha Masand)

WELCOM BACK A kid draws the elephant-headed god at a school in Thane (left); the deity is ushered in by volunteers of a city mandal 

 

The Times of India, September 19, 2012

Two dupe bank of 3 crore, in EOW net

Mateen Hafeez 

Mumbai: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) registered a case against the chairman and the general manger of a private firm for duping a bank of Rs 2.97 crore. 

    “The accused —Murtuza Nadir, chairman of Sico Pipe Fittings Pvt Ltd, and Tasneem Nadir, general manager of the firm—issued a letter of credit to State Bank of Travancore in Kerala. The letter was then forwarded to the bank’s branch in Mumbai. Based on the letter of credit, a loan of Rs 2.97 crore was sanctioned and transferred to the accused’s account,” said an officer. 

    “The accused had earlier tried to get a loan on forged letter of credit in a similar fashion. This was their second attempt,” said the officer. “During document verification, bank officials realized the letter of credit was forged. They immediately reported the matter to police and a case was registered,” the officer said. No arrests have been made yet. 

 

The Times of India, September 18, 2012

Jundal helped LeT post content on website: Cops

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: Zabihuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal told interrogators that he was assisting the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in maintaining their website for six to seven months prior to the 26/11 strike.
 

    Jundal, who is currently in custody, told the police that his handler Muzammil introduced him to a software engineer, Hafeez Saeed, at a terror camp. “Muzammil asked me to help Saeed in the making of webpages and uploading videos, books on those the site,” Jundal told police. The website was blocked after the company that hosted the server objected to the copyright of the content uploaded.
 

   In August 2006, Muzammil asked Jundal the reason for the failure of an operation that led to the Aurangabad arms haul case. “I told Muzammil that Ahmad (who had delivered the consignment) could have leaked the information. Hearing this Muzammil said that he would find out the cause and punish the culprit,” he told police. 

    After being given a new identity, Jundal was called at Mansera for training. “Next morning our trainer, Dr Waqqas, arranged a vehicle (Toyota Hayes) and took all of us to Ugi camp where we met three instructors, Fahadullah, Shoeb and Osama. Fahadullah, who trained us,” Jundal said. 

 
Two Maha youths still in Pak camp

 L eT operative Abu Jundal said two youths from Beed district, Aijaz alias Abu Sherjil and Masood alias Abu Zarar, were still staying in Pakistan’s Bait-ul-Mujahideen camp. TNN 

 

The Times of India, September 17, 2012

‘ 10L was sent via hawala from UAE’

PUNE BLASTS

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: The perpetrators of the August 1 Pune serial blasts, which were executed by the Indian Mujahideen (IM), were paid Rs 10 lakh sent through hawala from the UAE, said a senior police officer. 

    On August 1, four explosions, triggered by improvised explosive devices (IEDs), rattled the bustling Jangli Maharaj Road in Pune in a matter of less than an hour. 

 
    “We have zeroed in on the perpetrators from the IM but they fled soon after the blasts,” said a source. The ATS probe has revealed that the money used for the explosions was routed through Muzaffar Kola Enterprises. “Kola Enterprises was earlier found involved in sending Rs 10 lakh through hawala for Mumbai’s 13/7 blasts. The ATS had then booked Muzaffar Kola, owner of the UAE firm, for its alleged involvement in the hawala deals. But the agency could never arrest Kola since the 67-year-old is bedridden with cancer,” said a source. Even for the Pune blasts, the money was routed through the same firm, the source said. Muzaffar Kola Enterprises LLC, which deals in clothes, perfumes, cosmetics and toys, is the front set up to run the money-laundering business, the source said. 

    Kola’s name emerged in 2003 after the abduction of a Kolkata-based shoe chain owner, Partho Roy Burman. The police found that Rs 3 crore was paid through hawala through Kola’s firm to the abductors.

City police to book makers of anti-Islam film

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Friday asked the Centre to block webcast of the anti-Islam film, which triggered violent protests in theArabworld, anditstrailers on the video-sharing site, You-Tube. On the same day, home minister R R Patil asked the crimebranchto register a case againstthe makersof thefilm.

    The government is worried that the movie could create law-and-order problems. A press note said the CM had a telephonic conversation with Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shindein this regard.
 

    Joint commissioner of police (crime) Himanshu Roy confirmed that they were in the process of registering an FIR against the makers of the film. The case would be registeredunder varioussectionsof the Information Technology Act,2000, and Section 295A(deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs)of theIndian PenalCode.
 

    The police said an extradition request could be made to the country concerned at a later stage. Sources said Patil called a meeting on Friday, which was attended by Roy, ATS chief Rakesh Maria, Mumbai police chief Satya Pal Singh and additionalchief secretary (home)AmitabhRajan. 

    Patil instructed the officials to keep in touch with members of the Muslim community and ask its leaders to help maintain law andorder.
 

Don’t be provoked, urges Urdu media
    Condemning the violent protests against the film that allegedly mocks Islam, the Urdu press advised Muslims not to get provoked.
 

    The Inquilab Daily’s editorial slammed the US for not cracking down on the makers of the film. The paper also attacked the US’s “double standards” in dealing with extremists but said violent protests would only strengthen “anti-Islamic” forces.
 

    Writing in the Urdu Times, columnist Monisa Bushra Abdi demanded that the US arrest extremists who are bent on “hurting Muslim sentiments”.
—Mohammed Wajihuddin  

 

One more held for August 11 rioting
    The crime branch on Friday arrested Akbar Raunaque Ali (27) for his alleged involvement in the August 11 rioting. Ali sustained injuries, allegedly in the police firing, and was admitted to J J Hospital. He was arrested after being discharged. He is the 60th accused to be arrested. Meanwhile, the families of some of the accused met crime branch officials and requested them to release those not involved in the rioting. TNN 

 

 

The Times of India, September 15, 2012

Jundal was in Aurangabad after arms haul

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: Investigations into the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case have revealed that while the state ATS was hunting for prime accused Zabihuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal from the day he escaped from Chandwad highway, he was very much in Aurangabad for two days. After the haul, an alert to trace Jundal was sent out to all the police agencies. However nobody could trace him. 

    Jundal told interrogators that he went to Aurangabad after dodging the ATS and spent the night in a mosque. The next day, he sent an e-mail to one of his friends from Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) about the incident. Jundal was instructed to meet one Shaukat in Kolkata. He was also asked to come to Pakistan with the help of Shaukat. The same day, Jundal took a train to Kolkata and met
Shaukat near Sealdah (Calcutta) railway station the next morning with a white handkerchief on his right hand. Jundal introduced himself to Shaukat as Dawood.
 

    Shaukat took him to Benapool and in the evening they crossed the Bangladesh border and reached Dhaka. Jundal stayed in an under-construction building for a week. Shaukat instructed Jundal not to open window, not to use flush and to speak discreetly. “After a week, Shaukat came to me and said that we have to leave the next morning. He gave me new clothes and new chappals. The next morning, Shaukat came with four bags—two small bags full of litchis and two large bags full of sarees. We took a taxi to Dhaka airport. At the airport there was no immigration and security checking. We entered the boarding counter without any checks. Shaukat arranged a passport for me in the name of Saeed. We boarded a PIA flight to Karachi from Dhaka,” Jundal told police. 

    After reaching Karachi, Shaukat introduced Jundal to one Raza and asked him to stay with Raza. Jundal was then taken to a room in Hyderabad Colony. Jundal stayed there for a week and shifted to another room where he stayed with Saif and Zahid, both from Hyderabad in India. After this, Jundal took a flight to Rawalpindi, where he met LeT commander Muzammil. From this place, the 26/11 conspiracy begun. 

 

 

The Times of India, September 14, 2012

‘Kasab took SC order copy with a smile’

Ajmal Kasab

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: 26/11 attacks convict Ajmal Kasab, lodged in a high security cell of the Arthur Road jail, smiled when he was told on Saturday about the Supreme Court’s order confirming his death sentence. Kasab, say jail sources, smiled and collected a certified copy of the SC’s order.

    Jail sources said they received a certified copy of the SC order a few days ago. “We had not informed him about it as we did not have a copy of the order. Once we received it a few days ago, Kasab was informed about the order,” said a jail official. 

    However, Kasab has remained silent on whether he would file a mercy petition. He is accused of conspiring and killing 166 people in terror attacks on the city in November 2008. He was the sole gunman to be captured alive as his nine associates were killed in police encounters.
 

    Now, Kasab has an option of appealing for mercy to the President of India. For this, he will have to approach the government through his lawyer.
 

    “Kasab is shifted to another room adjacent to his cell whenever we need to clean his specially designed cell,” said a senior jail official. Kasab has been kept alone in a highly guarded cell ever since he was sent to judicial custody in late 2008.
 

    Jail sources said that fed up of being in a small cell, Kasab has now taken to karate, which he practises for an hour every day. Sources said, “Qaidi number C-7096 has become restless after months of composure. He has been in this cell for around four years. Life must be monotonous for him. To overcome his frustration, he has taken to karate. He seems to be a champion in the martial art,” said a jail official. “He does not have any props for practice or equipment for exercise, but that is not a hurdle for him. His methods match those of a true professional. He rests after working out and then eats a lot.”
 

    A jail official had earlier said that Kasab tries chatting with policemen when he feels lonely. “He tries to talk to the policemen, but we have strictly forbidden them from entertaining him since he is a convict in a sensitive case,” the jail official had said. “When no one speaks to him, Kasab starts abusing them,” said the source.

The Times of India, September 12, 2012

Jundal sent to judicial custody

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: LeT’s suspected operative, Zabihuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal, was on Monday sent to judicial custody in the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case. He is likely to be taken into custody for his alleged involvement in the 2010 Nashik police academy attack conspiracy case on Tuesday. 

    Jundal, who was earlier in the custody of the Mumbai crime branch for his role in the 26/11 attack case, was later handed over to the Maharashtra ATS in connection with the arms haul case. He was produced before a court which sent him to judicial custody. 

    Sources said the ATS has two cases registered against Jundal. First the Pune German Bakery bomb blast case and the second is the Nashik police academy attack conspiracy case. In the German Bakery case, the police have arrested Mirza Himayat Baig and in the Nashik case, an LeT operative Farid Baba Bilal Shaikh, was arrested in 2010. During interrogation, Shaikh told police that he was planning to attack the Nashik police academy like the Lahore police school was attacked three years ago. 

 

 

The Times of India, September 11, 2012

Jundal changed houses in Pak to duck arrest

POST-26/11 ATTACKS

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: After the 26/11 attacks, the Pakistan police also began arresting conspirators and arrestedfour top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commanders. However, Indian-born LeT operative, Zabihuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal, escaped arrest as hewas not present attheoutfit’s office. Scared of being arrested, Jundal changed his residence thricein the nextfew months. 

    Jundal, who was zeroed in on by the Saudi Arabian intelligence agency, was deported from Riyaz to Delhi on June 20. Heisfacing atleasteightterrorrelatedcasesin India. 

    “After a case was registered in Pakistan, the Federal Investigating Agency (FIA) reached theLeT’soffice and arrestedZaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Muzammil, Abu Alkama and Zarar Shah.Iwas attheofficewithtwo others—Khalid and Abu Kahafa, but succeeded in fleeing,” JundaltoldIndian police. 

    Muzammil gaveordersfrom jail to vacate all Bait-ul-Mujahideen (training house) camps. The same day, the Pakistan army reached the house and seizedweapons. 

    “In January 2009, I got a passportin the nameof Riyasat Ali s/o Khushi Mohammad, residentof Mohalla Rehmanpura, Dauok, tehsil and P.O. Mauridke, district Shekhura, Pakistan. However, I did not feel safe there. I and one Anas went to Faislabad and stayed there for a month before returning to Muzaffarabad.
 
    On August 4, 2009, I got married to Mariam, daughter of Shahbaz Ismail of Muzaffarabad, and stayed in Uppera Mira in Muzaffarabad,” Jundal told police.
 
    Four months later, Jundal again shifted to Rawalpindi as his wife was suffering from an allergy. In March 2010, Jundal shifted to Islamabad into the house of LeT man Rashid alias Junaid atKaral.
 
    In April 2010, Jundal again shifted to Rawalpindi and stayed there until he moved to Saudi Arabia. He had an Internet connection in his room, wherehe made passportsfor his wife and son, Abdul Saboor. Jundal began working as an agentdealing in used cars.


The Times of India, September 10, 2012

LeT operative was duped of 50,000

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: LeT operative Zabihuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal told interrogators that he had sent Rs 50,000 to help an accused in a terror case in India butthe person who wastodeliver the money cheatedhim.
 

    TOI had reportedon howIndian Mujahideen (IM) operativeswereduping their handlers andsiphoning off money.
 

    In 2010,Jundalwentto Saudi Arabia, where he saw one of his relatives, Qamar Malik (name changed). He took Malik’s number before returning to Pakistan.In 2011,Malikcalledup Jundal and said he was going to India for a week. “The next day, Jundal went to the office of his handler, Muzammil, and asked for a monetary favour for those arrested in the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case. Muzammil gave him 4,000 riyals (nearly Rs 50,0000). Jundal spoke to Malik and gave him the address of one Kashif,whosebrother,Arif,was in the Aurangabad jail. Jundal sent the money to Malik throughhawala,” policesaid. 

    After sending the money, Jundal called up Malik and inquired if the money had been handed over, said a police source. “Malik told Jundal that he was trying to trace Kashif’s address and assured him that the money would be delivered assoon as possible,” cops added. 

    Oneday,Jundalsawthewedding card of Malik’s brother on a social networking website. Jundal noted down the brother’s mobile number from the card. After calling up that number, Jundal took Malik’s new mobile number and contacted him. “Malik told Jundal that he tried to search for Kashif’s addressbutcould notfindit.Malik disconnected the call, asking Jundal not to call him again,” said a policesource.
 

TERROR & MOOLAH • Murdered IM man Qateel Siddiqui allegedly spent Rs 1L on women. The money was to recruit new men. He had told police that he was not interested in IM ideology

• IM man Yasin Bhatkal siphoned off and invested Rs 14L in an under-construction project in Nalasopara. The money was for the legal expenses of IM members who were in jail

• Pune German Bakery blast accused Mirza Himayat Baig got Rs 12.5L, of which he used Rs 10L on operational expenses. The remaining money was used to pay off personal debt 

 

 

The Times of India, September 10, 2012

Intel detects Dawood hand in August 11 riot

Dawood Ibrahim

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: Intelligence and security agencies believe the August 11 Azad Maidan violence took place at the behest of gangster Dawood Ibrahim. A source saidthatwhilechecking call records connected with the incident, the agencies came upon a voice that they suspected to be Dawood’s. They are in the process of verifying if the voicewasindeedof the gangster by matching it with original samples.
 

    “Some intelligence officials suspect Dawood himself spoke to a few people in Mumbai. They want to match the voice obtained from the call records with Dawood’s voice asit is today. Records of Dawood’s voice, which are in the possession of security agencies, are a few yearsold,” said a source.
 

    Dawood is said to be staying in Pakistan and has avoided stepping out of his house ever since he was designated a global terrorist by the US.
 

    “There were frequent phonecallsfrom Pakistan to Mumbai before the Azaz Maidan violence. A few conversations were recorded. Thetechnicalbranchof a security agency is busy identifying the people who spoke over phone,” said a sourcein the security establishment. “It is a difficult task since the callers and those who received the calls avoided using names. Those who were contactedin Mumbai arebeing monitored.”
 

    Meanwhile, a senior officer of the Mumbai crime branch said he was not aware of any such conversation taking place before the violence. However, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan had hinted at the involvementof a foreign handin the violence.
 

    Sources said Chavan was briefed about the developments in the case before he spoke about the foreign hand. Moreover, investigators had found that certain provocative videos (believed to be doctored) showing atrocities on Muslims were uploaded from Pakistan. The videos, and also photos bearing similar images, were circulated through Bluetooth and MMS among the youth, provoking a section of Muslims in India.
 

Plea for bail of 5 accused rejected Aarrested sessions in court the August has rejected 11 Azad the Maidan bail application violence of case five . men Judge R V Jatale said on Friday, “Two innocent people lost their lives. There has been major loss to public property… the police and media were affected. The case is very sensitive.” The accused, Imran Shaikh (32), Amin Chaudhari (28), Omar Ansari (19), Ansar Ali Qureshi and Afzal Shaikh (32) are among the 23 who were arrested immediately after the riot. Defence counsels Sharif Shaikh and Khalid Azmi said the five were randomly picked up from their residence by the police, and were innocent. TNN

The Times of India, September 8, 2012

Oil depots in city put on terror alert

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: An anonymous letter, which talks about a possible attack on the oil depots at the HPCL and BPCL refineries, has forced intelligence agencies to issue a terror alert. The Central Industrial Security Force has since beefed up security at the installations. 

 
    Qauiser Khalid, additional CP (east), told TOI that the Chembur police had received an anonymous two-page letter in Hindi, which spoke of an attack on the oil refineries and gave details of some of the people involved. 

 

 ‘Bombs will be planted in sweet shop near depots’
Mumbai: Police have tightened security at the depots of the HPCL and BPCL oil refineries. Qauiser Khalid, additional CP (east), told TOI, “Since we don’t want to take any chances, we have informed the state ATS, the intelligence bureau and the special branch about it. We have reviewed our security.”
 

    The security alert, based on the letter, states that three youngsters from Vasmat village of Aurangabad are planning to plant an explosives-laden car in the parking area of a sweet shop near HPCL and BPCL. The alert mentions the name of the sweet shop as also the fact that the three youngsters can speak Marathi and could target the oil refineries in the next one month. Following the threat, CISF has reviewed its security and heightened it, besides deploying additional forces. 

    The eastern belt of Mumbai is one of India’s most sensitive zones. The HPCL and BPCL refineries are adjacent to the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, which has been on high alert after an inter-state terror module was busted in Karnataka. Now it’s the storage depots of these refineries that face a specific terror threat. Mumbai's HPCL and BPCL refineries produce over 20 million tons of fuel every year, and according to sources at any given time have a storage of over 20 lakh kilolitres of petrol, diesel, kerosene and several other fuel products. Sources said that such alerts and information about possible terror attacks have been consistently coming in. 

 

The state ATS, two and a half years ago, arrested two persons for allegedly planning to set the ONGC headquarters on fire. Sources said that in January last year, the Intelligence Bureau, after inspecting the HPCL refinery, put out an alert about various security measures. Arrested terror suspect David Headley, who made nine visits to India during 2006 to 2009, had identified a large number of sensitive establishments,which included BARC and the oil installations. Another IB alert in May had spoken about the threat from the terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba to the oil refineries at Jamnagar and Bhatinda. 

 

 

The Times of India, September 7, 2012

Man who gave Jundal Gulf work visa squealed on him

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative Zabihuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal had to borrow money for going to Gulf from his Pakistani handler to recruit young men in the outfit. Moreover, he was also given the task to raise funds in the Gulf and send it to India for LeT’s ongoing operations, Jundal reportedly told police.
 

    Jundal, who is currently in the state anti-terrorism squad’s (ATS) custody, told police that he found it difficult to get a visa for Saudi Arabia. He further said that he contacted one Akram Salfi, through LeT commander Muzammil, and asked him to arrange for visa. Salfi demanded 16,000 riyals (Rs 2.08 lakh). “To get the work visa, I had to borrow money from Muzammil though I was going to Gulf for the outfit’s work. Later, I got a visa in the name of Riyasat Ali,” Jundal told police. Jundal is facing several bomb blast cases in India and was deported from Saudi Arabia on June 20. He is also one of the handlers of
the ten terrorists who were involved in the 26/11 attacks. 

    In April, Jundal reached Saudi Arabia and began working as an electrician where he would get morning meal, lunch and 60 riyals per day. Jundal was staying there with a plumber Shakeel (originally from Gujrawalan, Pakitan) and Malik Irfanat Shahna Imam Ali near Saudi Post, Qateef. During that time, Salfi, a resident of Harunabad in Pakistan, also reached Saudi. A few weeks later, Jundal came to know that Salfi had been arrested by the Gulf police and hence he switched off his mobile phone. “I did not use my phone since my number was stored in Salfi Saheb’s phone. I didn’t want any trouble there,” Jundal reportedly told police.
 

    On June 20, Ahmad Malik Ahmad alias Qafeel, who had given a work visa to Jundal, reached his house and took him to a police station without telling him anything. “Thereafter, I was arrested,” said Jundal. Sources said that Qafeel had in fact arranged visa for Jundal. Sources said that was Qafeel helped the Saudi intelligence agency, Al-Mabahith Al-Aammah, nab Jundal. 

 

 

The Times of India, September 7, 2012

Cops: LeT gave Jundal $500 for Karnavati train blast

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: Investigations have revealed that Lashkar-e-Taiba operative Zabihuddin Ansair alias Abu Jundal was given US$500 for the Karnavati Express blast in Ahmedabad. Though Jundal was imparted a weapon handling training in Pakistan, he has confessed to learning bomb-making techniques in Nepal. He also told investigators that earlier he had twice refused to undergo training in Pakistan. 

    Jundal (31), who originally belongs to Beed district in Maharashtra, is currently in the state ATS custody for his alleged involvement in the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case. The police had seized 43 kg of RDX, 16 AK-47 assault rifles, 3,200 live bullets, 50 hand grenades, two swords, etc. So far, police have arrested 22 people, including Jundal, in this case. 

    After reaching Nepal, Jundal met LeT operative, Juned alias Rehan alias Waii, a Pakistani national. “During the next two days, Juned taught me how to make a bomb from crackers and also gave me a task. Jundal was then given another task of receiving the delivery of weapons at a place called Nasik Road. After a few days, Juned gave Jundal the code name of “Pappu”. On the last day of their stay in Nepal, Jundal met Juned at Bala Zoo Park in Kathmandu. “Juned gave me $500 and another task to fire on Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) shops/offices or trigger a blast somewhere in India. After that, we returned to India,” Jundal told the police. 

    Jundal then planned to carry out a bomb blast in a train. He, along with his associates, purchased some crackers, thermocol, knobs, battery, watch, etc. He assembled a suitcase bomb and planted it in a train moving towards Ahmedabad, which exploded at Ahmedabad railway station, the police said. 

 

 

The Times of India, September 5, 2012

Jundal parents can meet him

—Mateen Hafeez 

Mumbai: The state ATS on Monday told the special MCOCA court that they have come across involvement of three more suspects in the Aurangabad arms haul case while questioning Zabihuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal. He was sent to ATS custody till September 10.
    Jundal told special judge S M Modak that he would talk to his parents for a lawyer. The court asked the ATS to inform Jundal’s parents to come and meet him at their own expense. The court has warned Jundal against discussing any case with them. He can meet his parents for 10 minutes in the presence of ATS officers. 

 

 

The Times of India, September 4, 2012

Painter, cook or… Gawli gets to choose a job in jail

Arun Gawli

Mateen Hafeez | TNN

Mumbai: The once-dreaded don Arun Gawli, who will soon be shifted to Yerawada jail to serve his life sentence, could be assigned a job like any other convict.
 

    Convicts have to work as painters, carpenters, shoemakers, handloom-operators, cooks or tailors. The work that Gawli gets will depend on what he would be interested in doing. 

    Gawli, who had been acquitted in 48 criminal cases earlier, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday for his involvement in the murder of Shiv Sena corporator Kamalakar Jamsandekar.
 

    In 1997, he was externed from Mumbai limits and stayed in Pune. He then floated his own political party, Akhil Bhartiya Sena and contested the MLA election. He won. However, he lost the legislator’s election in 2009 since he was in jail for the murder case. His daughter Geeta won the corporation’s election and is currently chairperson of the BMC’s health committee.
 

    As a murder convict, Gawli will wear a white uniform with black stripes and a white cap. Sources in Taloja jail said that Gawli will be shifted to Yerwada jail which houses the maximum convicts in the state. Taloja jail is meant for undertrial inmates. Now, Gawli will have to wash his two sets of convict’s clothes.
 

    Inmates convicted for an offence up to an imprisonment of three months are given a number beginning with alphabet ‘A’. Those convicted for between three months and five years are given the ‘B’ series and those for heinous crimes such as murder, the ‘C’ series.  

 

WORK CODE FOR CONVICTS
Convicts who get rigorous imprisonment are offered jobs such as carpentry and making carpets, which may end up in government offices They may help prepare food, which is also served to their fellow inmates Earlier, convicts had to break stones; now, they have to work inside jail premises where factories have been made for them According to jail manual, unskilled convicts are paid Rs 12.75 a day, semi-skilled convicts Rs 17 and skilled convicts Rs 25.50 as remuneration

The Times of India, September 2, 2012

Legal opinion sought on organizers’ role in riot

EVENING OF ANARCHY

Cops To Verify If Speeches At Rally Were Provocative 

 

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: Three weeks after a mob went on the rampage in south Mumbai on August 11—for which 55 have been arrested, two of them for vandalizing the Martyrs’ Memorial—the police now seem to be going after the rally organizers. Besides finding out if the speeches at the gathering— the riot allegedly broke out at that time —were provocative, the police are also gunning for the rioters who allegedly molested women constables posted at the site.
 

    Till now, the organizers have not been made an accused in the FIR. “The police are finding out from legal experts if some of the speeches provoked the crowd and started the riot. It’s too early to say anything as the police have not got a legal opinion on booking the organizers as accused,” said a senior police officer. The crime branch has summoned all the 17 people who were present on the stage during the rally. “We have recorded the statements of most of the people and are recording that of the organizers. We are corroborating their words with the facts and information gathered by the police,” said a source. 

A senior officer said they would decide on the next course of action depending on the legal experts’ reports. “If it is found out that anyone among the organizers did play a vital role, he will be made an accused at a later stage. We don’t want to name anyone now,” a senior officer said. “The two held for vandalizing the memorial had no connection between themselves. We suspect that the violence was pre-planned. We are taking down the statements of witnesses and collecting more evidence,” said crime branch head Himangshu Roy. 

    The rally, held in protest against alleged violence against the Muslim community in Assam and Myanmar, was called by a non-registered NGO, Madina-tul-Ilm, run by a Kurla resident, Rizwan Khan. The demonstration was supported by another non-registered NGO, Raza Academy, and several other NGOs. 

“The youngsters outside Azad Maidan began manhandling the media crew even as a speaker accused the media for ignoring the Muslims’ plight,” the source said. Even as the mob went on to assault policemen, vandalize everything that came their way and one stole a police rifle, several of the rioters allegedly molested at least six women constables deployed at the site. “We have formed a separate team to probe the molestation angle and included female officers. It’s a sensitive investigation and we are taking measures to make it a watertight case,” said Roy. According to a source, the police plan to approach the home department, asking it to run the trial in a fast track court.
 

Raj raps Bihar chief secy over arrest row  

Ambarish Mishra TNN  

Mumbai: MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Friday warned that every person from Bihar staying in Mumbai will be bundled out if the Bihar government created hurdles in the arrest of the August 11 rioters. 

    Raj slammed Bihar chief secretary Navin Kumar for opposing the latest visit of the Mumbai crime branch to Patna to arrest a person wanted in the rampage. Kumar had recently written to state chief secretary Jayantkumar Bhantia, saying the Mumbai police should not visit Bihar to arrest anyone without prior intimation to the government there. Kumar reportedly sent asimilar letter to police chief Satya Pal Singh. 

“Every Bihari staying in Mumbai will be bundled out if the Bihar government doesn’t withdraw the chief secretary’s letter. I am accused of indulging in divisive politics. My detractors tell me that every Indian has a right to go to any place in the country. By the same token, cops from any part of India can go to any other part to arrest a criminal,” said Raj, addressing a party conclave at Ravindra Natya Mandir. “The Bihar chief secretary shouldn’t impede the process of investigations by the Mumbai police.” Home minister R R Patil told the media that the police had to follow certain procedures when visiting another state. “If the rules were not abided by in this case, we will look into it,” he said.
 

    Raj also reiterated his demand for Patil’s resignation. “The anti-national miscreants robbed the constables of their guns. The home department isn’t taking any action. Patil has no right to continue as the home minister.”

The Times of India, September 1, 2012