Lt Col sent youths for terror training

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: The interrogation of Pravin Mutalik, who is suspect to have planted to bomb in the 2008 Malegaon blast, has revealed that he along with coaccused Lt Col Prasad Purohit had sent several new recruits for terror training to at least three places in the country. “More arrests are likely soon in the case,” said ATS chief Rakesh Maria.

According to Maria, Mutalik, also a bomb maker had identified potential hardline boys and introduced them to Purohit. “They arranged these boys’ training for bomb making, handling firearms, and using explosives. We have brought these boys to our office. Some of them have become our witnesses and their statements have been recorded before a magistrate under section 164 of the CrPc,” said Maria. A statement given before a magistrate is admissible in court.

Mutalik was arrested last month after evading arrest for two years. “Our teams visited to three training centers. The recruits seem to be new as their names did not come up in the probe earlier,” added Maria. Purohit, a serving officer, was arrested for engineering the blast which killed seven on September 29, 2008.

The Times of India, March 8, 2011 (Times Nation)

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Malegaon blast accused bail hearing adjourned

Mumbai: Judge Yatin D Shinde of the special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court on March 7 adjourned the bail hearing of suspects caught for the 2006 Malegaon mosque blast till March 10.

Seven youth from Malegaon, one from Mumbai and a civil engineer from Jalgaon were arrested for designing and executing the 2006 Malegaon serial bomb blast which killed 37 and injured 297 others. The ATS stated that these boys wanted to create a riot like situation in the state and therefore they planted bombs in a cemetery adjacent to a mosque. After the confessional statement of Swami Aseemanand, an accused in the Hyderabad Mecca Masjid where he claimed the responsibility of engineering the Malegaon blasts, those arrested by the ATS in 2006 moved to the court seeking bail.

Meanwhile, the JJ Hospital has filed a report about the health of 2008 Malegaon bomb blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur. An argument will be conducted on the report on Tuesday. Sadhvi has been charged with the murder of RSS pracharak Sunil Joshi in MP and the MP police wants to take her there for probe. However, her lawyer told the court that she is not in a position to walk. Based on this, the court asked the JJ hospital authorities to file a report.

Cop at US consulate killed in ‘freak’ firing

A bloodied Deepak Vitkare (circled) was still in his uniform and had his service carbine on him when he was found on consulate premises

Police Not Sure If It Is Suicide Or Accident

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: A twenty-nine-year-old constable posted at the American Consulate died on Monday morning when two bullets from his service gun pierced through his skull.

The officials are now trying to ascertain whether Deepak Vitkare killed himself or it was an accident. “The constable was posted at the rear of the consulate building. We are yet to find out if it was a suicide or his gun fired accidentally,”JCP (law and order) Rajnish Seth said.

It was around 7.30 am, when policemen on the premises of the consulate at Breach Candy heard a bang. They rushed to the spot to find a bloodied Vitkare whom they took to Breach Candy Hospital where he died. Two bullets had pierced from his chin and shattered the skull, the police said.

Originally from Solapur district, Vitkare joined the Mumbai Police in 2008. “This was his first posting in the Local Arms (unit-II) and he had been at the Tardeo office for the past one month. Last night, he reported for work around 7.30 and his shift was supposed to end at 7.30 am on Monday. In the morning, one of his colleagues went to the toilet when he heard gunshots. He rushed out to find Vitkare lying on the floor, splattered in blood,” said a Gamdevi police officer. Vitkare was still in his uniform and armed with a carbine, an official said. “We are questioning his colleagues and recording the statements of his relatives. We do not know if it was a suicide or a mishap, we will soon reach a conclusion,” said A Kumbhare, deputy commissioner of police.

Constable Krishna from the RAK Marg police station has known Vitkare from childhood as both belonged to Bhulabai Chowk’s Ravivar Peth in Solapur. “His mother died in 2006, while his father is a paralytic patient and partially blind. His two younger brothers are still studying,” he said. “Vitkare was supposed to get married on May 15. He never looked tense or depressed.”

The Times of India, March 8, 2011

Men in khaki take guard at Wankhede

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: The men in khaki took guard at Wankhede Stadium on Monday to make sure that the security arrangement during the World Cup did not spring any loophole.

More than 1,300 police personnel were deployed at the stadium at Marine Lines for the rehearsal drill, which started around 9 in the morning and continued till 6.30 pm.

“We did a bandobast rehearsal and are satisfied with the arrangements,” said deputy commissioner of police Dorje Chhering. He, however, preferred not to comment on the security arrangements.

While there is no specific terror alert, the security agencies do not want to take any chances. Accordingly, the security mock drill was planned in which Quick Response Team, commando squads and 1,300 officials and constables of the city police took part. The sniffer dog and the bomb detection and disposal squads were also part of the exercise. A large number of policemen in mufti were deployed in and around the stadium.

Even as the personnel checked the lanes and by-lanes leading to the stadium , senior officials examined the overall security arrangement. The new commissioner, Arup Patnaik, also paid a visit. “As it is a big affair, we are doing a rehearsal. Similar exercises may be conducted before the matches as well,” said Rajnish Seth, joint commissioner of police, law and order.

The gates were fitted with bomb and explosive detection devices, while some policemen kept their eyes glued to CCTV cameras installed inside the stadium, the exit and entry points and restrooms.

The city police plan to deploy more than 1,000 personnel on the day of the matches to man a crowd of 32,000 spectators. The first match in the stadium will be played on March 13, the second on March 18 and the final on April 2.

The Times of India, March 8, 2011

Eight held for ‘outsourced’ killings

3-4 L PER CASE

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: The anti-terrorism squad (ATS) has arrested eight gangsters who were ‘outsourced’ the job of killing people in Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai and other places in Maharashtra.

The police said the gang would accept ‘jobs’ from the Chhota Rajan, Ravi Pujari, Prasad Pujari and Kumar Pillai gangs to kill rivals at a cost of Rs 3-4 lakh per killing.

“The eight arrested include a former Chhota Rajan gang member, Vijay Vasant Kedari (37), for their roles in murder and robbery cases. After the arrests, we came to know that they were outsourcing the job of killing people for big bucks. So far, five cases have been detected,” ATS chief Rakesh Maria said.

He added that the gang had, however, not outsourced any job by the Dawood Ibrahim-Chhota Shakeel gang yet.

“They were working in a very systematic manner. We hope to get more information soon,” Maria added.

The ATS has recovered two hand-guns, three pistols, a revolver, 49 live cartridges, a magazine, a Santro and a Honda City, and 14 mobile phones from the accused.

“On October 6, 2007, a driver was shot dead. Five people were arrested for conspiracy and for providing weapons. The same day, in Ulhasnagar, the gang killed another person. Similarly, on January 6 this year, a person was shot dead, while an associate was seriously injured, in Kalwa. The gang was behind all the cases,” Maria added.

Kedari was convicted for the April 2, 2001 murder of Vinayak Bakalkar in Ratnagiri. He escaped when out on parole for three weeks in April 2009. Maria said he was was running the jail’s operations from Navi Mumbai. Kedari and his aides have been remanded in police custody.


The Times of India, March 8, 2011

‘RDX used in Malegaon blasts stolen from army’

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: Residents of Malegaon said the special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team reinvestigating the 2006 Malegaon bomb blasts told them that their probe revealed that the RDX used in the blasts was stolen from the army. The army had earlier denied this charge.

On September 8, 2006, four RDX bombs planted on bicycles near a mosque at a cemetery in Mushawerat Chowk exploded, killing 31 people and injuring 297 others. Seven youths from Malegaon were arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on charges of designing and engineering the blasts. In December 2006 the probe was handed over to the CBI. In 2011, a special CBI team began reinvestigating the case after a member of Abhinav Bharat Swami Aseemanand’s confession claimed that the right-wing group was responsible for the Malegaon blast. The special CBI team conducted five meetings with the members of Organisations of All Muslim Sects (OAMS) in Malegaon and interacted with them.

“The CBI told us that the RDX used in the blasts was stolen from the army,” said a member of OAMS who was called by the CBI during the probe recently.

A CBI team member, M V Laad, said, “I neither know anything about it nor do I want to talk on this issue”. Another officer from the special CBI team said, “I have been to Malegaon but I cannot utter a single word.”

The prosecution, after arresting Lt Col Prasad Purohit in connection with the September 29, 2008 Malegaon blast in which seven people were killed, had told a court that the RDX used in the bomb was stolen from the army.

The CBI team had been asking the residents of Malegaon to assist them in collecting documentary evidence in the 2006 blast case. “They asked why only Malegaon was targeted when there are several other Muslim pockets as well in the state,” said advocate Irfana Hamdanai, who has been legally assisting the Malegaon youth, who have been arrested in the blast cases. “We have submitted documents to the CBI about a reconversion programme conducted by Aseemanand and associates between February 11 and 13, 2006,” said senior advocate S S Shaikh, also a member of OAMS.

Prior to the programme, Aseemanand’s group allegedly distributed pamphlets, calling for an end to conversion of Hindus to Islam and Christianity. Copies of the pamphlets have been submitted to the National Minority Commission, said residents. Copies were also given to the CBI three days ago.

Aseemanand in his confession said that they targeted Malegaon since 80% of its population was Muslim.

“We want our boys to be released. We also want to show that the residents of Malegaon have nothing to do with the blasts but the Aseemanand group is responsible for it,” said advocate Nihal Ansari.


The Times of India, March 7, 2011

Court Asks JJ Hosp If Pragya Can Travel 18 Hours To MP

Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakukr

Med report on Sadhvi sought

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: The special Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) court has asked JJ Hospital authorities to submit a report on the health of 2008 Malegaon bomb blast accused, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur. The Madhya Pradesh police wants to take her to MP for investigation in connection with a murder case. However, Pragya’s lawyer argued that she was in no shape to travel for almost 18 hours.

Pragya was arrested by the MP police in connection with the murder of Sunil Joshi, an RSS pracharak and a suspect in the Samjhauta Express blast case. Joshi, believed to be an associate of the sadhvi, was shot dead on December 29, 2007, near his house in Dewas, MP. Two men on a motorbike and others in a van had shot Joshi from close range.

Sources said that while the police have to produce Pragya before an MP court on March 9, the MCOCA court in Mumbai has asked the JJ Hospital authorities to submit a detailed report on Pragya’s health. The court also wants to know whether the 40-yearold accused is in a position to undertake such a long journey or not. The hospital will be submitting its report on March 7. The MP police had earlier sought the permission of the special MCOCA court to arrest Pragya in the case. A team of MP police officers has questioned Pragya at least two times in the past week.

The sadhvi is currently undergoing treatment at JJ Hospital. Sources close to Pragya told TOI that her health was deteriorating and she could not even walk due to several ailments. “She is under treatment for several diseases. She cannot sit and walk properly. There is no sensation in her legs due to continuous police torture,” a source close to Pragya said. Pragya was arrested in the Malegaon blast case after the Anti-Terrorism Squad found that the bike used to plant the bomb was registered in her name.

The Times of India, March 5, 2011

Spurned lover arrested for making hoax calls

—Mateen Hafeez | TNN

Mumbai: The ATS arrested a 26-yearold man, on Monday, who had threatened to blow up Dadar station and assassinate the chief minister.It turned out that, the accused Sanjay Babar, embarked on a hoax call spree after being spurned in love.

The police said that during interrogation, Babar confessed to have making three hoax calls on the instructions of one Vishnu Kamble.

When Kamble was questioned, he revealed that Babar was interested in his niece and used to harass her. She then complained about this to Kamble, who then thrashed Babar. In order to take revenge with Kamble, Babar made the hoax calls and blamed Kamble for it.


The Times of India, March 1, 2011