Kasab turned 23 in jail but had no clue of birthday

Convict Ajmal Kasab was born on September 13, 1987

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: India's most high-profile prisoner, Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab, turned 23 on September 13. Despite being without a calendar, he knew that it was September and his birthday was approaching. So, every day, he would ask his guards what date it was but no one told him. A few days ago, he finally learnt that it was already the last week of the month and that he had missed his birthday.

Kasab, now again in the news after his lawyers approached the Bombay high court against his conviction, was born in Pakistan on September 13, 1987.

Kasab is lodged in a special bomb-proof cell in the Arthur Road Jail. His movement is monitored round-theclock through CCTV cameras installed there.

Given a Qaidi Number C-7096, Kasab is becoming restless in the cell. Inmates convicted for the most heinous crimes such as murder are enrolled under the 'C' series. Unlike other convicts, though, he won't have to work as a shoemaker, carpenter, handloom operator, cook or tailor. That's because he has been awarded the death penalty.

mateen.hafeez@timesgroup.com

The Times of India, September 30, 2010

Cops to be out in force, schools to remain open

As part of security measures, the police (below) have decided to use plastic bullets to disperse violent crowds

Intel Fears Violence In Karnataka

Yogesh Naik & Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government deployed unprecedented security measures across the state and secured state borders to ensure there is no communal disturbance, but refused to shut down educational institutions.

Police officials said they have received intelligence reports that communal trouble could brew in BJP-controlled Karnataka and have told collectors and police superintendents in Kolhapur and Solapur to be on constant alert.

On Wednesday, home minister R R Patil held a meeting with additional chief secretary (home) Chandra Iyengar, home secretary (special) Praveen Dixit, director-general of police D Sivanandhan and police commissioner Sanjeev Dayal at Mantralaya for three hours to map out a security plan. Patil later told reporters: “We have heightened the bandobast. I do not think there will be any trouble in the state. Maharashtra suffered a lot in the ’92-93 riots and the subsequent bomb blasts. No one wants a riot. I am confident that the state will be peaceful.”

Mumbai joint police commissioner (law and order) Rajnish Seth said: “In view of the verdict, a general alert has been sounded.”

But the government ruled out shutting down schools, and said the final decision has to be taken by the educational institutions themselves. “In case we get an intimation from the government in the morning or we find the situation unsafe, we will declare a holiday for the afternoon school,’’ said Fr George Athaide, principal of St Michael’s High School in Mahim. Avabai Petit Girls High School in Bandra, though, has decided to close after 1 pm. “We don’t want to take any chances. Anyway our students have their examinations Monday onwards, so this will give them extra time to study,’’ said principal Sandhya Balakrishnan.

The city police have served notice to about 1,200 troublemakers under section 149 of CrPC, warning them to refrain from indulging in any activity that causes law and order problems. So far, over 4,000 preventive arrests have been made, Seth added. Officials said the police will use plastic bullets to disperse troublemakers.

“Prohibitory orders were also issued under section 144 of CrPC, putting restrictions on the assembly of people and preventing people from carrying out any activity that hurts religious sentiments of a community” Seth said.

Patil said the government met various political and religious leaders last week and everyone promised to maintain peace, barring the MNS.

On Wednesday, chief minister Ashok Chavan cancelled this week’s cabinet meeting and asked all of them to go to their respective district. Home minister R R Patil will stay behind in Mantralaya and monitor the situation from there.

In a bid to ensure peace, the government has banned bursting of firecrackers and celebration of the verdict. The home department has also told not to float rumours or send incendiary text messages. Thursday and Friday have been declared dry days and all bars have been ordered to remain shut.

Judgment Day The government ruled out shutting down schools, but said the final decision has to be taken by educational institutions

Home minister R R Patil withdrew the government advisory warning people against travel and urged citizens to attend work

The administration asked Mumbaikars to report suspicious incidents to the police

All ruling party legislators and ministers have been told to travel to their districts

A ban has been imposed on celebration of the jugdment and bursting firecrackers

Citizens have been warned not to float rumours or send incendiary text messages, which might be screened by the police

Thursday and Friday have been declared dry days and all bars have been ordered to stay shut

The Times of India, September 30, 2010

Unprecedented security laid out

SHOW OF STRENGTH: The city police have taken a rash of measures to ensure peace in the aftermath of the Ayodhya verdict

Mateen Hafeez & Yogesh Naik | TNN

Mumbai: Wary of a repeat of the 1992-93 riots, the Maharashtra government has put the state on high alert and, for the first time, carved Mumbai into three regions under joint commissioner-ranked officers to maintain law and order.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, home minister R R Patil appealed for peace and asked people to refrain from hurting the sentiments of other communities. “A repeat of 1992-93 riots has to be avoided. Maharashtra is a progressive state and we have to guard that image,” said Patil, adding that the state has been put on high alert.

A senior police official told TOI that on Thursday crime branch chief Himanshu Roy will monitor law and order in north and west region (Bandra-Dahisar), joint commissioner Rajnish Seth will be oversee south and central region (Colaba to Kurla),while joint commissioner Bhagwant More will be posted in East region (Chembur to Mulund).

“So far 3,500 people have been arrested as preventive measure. Also, we have issued notices to more than 900 people and 100 others have been externed from city limits,’’ said a police official.

In a bid to thwart troublemakers, the state also declared Thursday and Friday as dry days (Saturday is already a dry day due to Gandhi Jayanti).

Chief minister Ashok Chavan on Tuesday reviewed the government’s security measures and held a meeting with religious leaders where he urged them to maintain peace. He has called a meeting of the cabinet on Thursday. “We’ll assess the situation. If the judgment comes on Thursday, we may cancel the cabinet and ask ministers to go to their respective districts,” Chavan said.

Education secretary Sanjay Kumar said a decision on whether to keep schools and colleges in Mumbai open on Thursday will be taken on Wednesday. The city police, meanwhile, have deployed cops from all 90 police stations and have decided to take help from the armed police force, Rapid Action Force, State Reserve Police Force, Riot Control Police and Quick Response Team. “We have spotted several sensitive areas and additional forces have already been put there,’’ an officer said.

Schools await order
While the government is making up its mind on whether to shut educational institutions on Thursday, many colleges in the city have unofficially given their students the option to skip lectures. Schools are waiting for a word from the government. “Parents, if worried, can choose not to send their children,” said Fr Francis Swamy, principal of Holy Family School in Andheri (East).

The Times of India, September 29, 2010

Navy paper leak: Printer dies of fear

(From left) Ranbir Singh Rawat, D S Murthy, R C Naik and Hoshiar Singh Rawat (inset) a teacher from Haryana

Mateen Hafeez | TNN

Mumbai: The fear of facing interrogation by CBI officials was so strong that it killed V S Thakur, owner of Atharva Printing Press in Pune, on Sunday. Fifty-three-year-old Thakur, a co-accused in the Indian Navy’s lower division clerk (LDC) paper leak case, suffered a massive heart attack 100 metres away from his office where the CBI sleuths were waiting for him.

The all-India exam to fill 175 clerks’ posts at the Western Naval Command HQ was conducted by the Navy on Sunday although the paper had been leaked a day earlier. “It was too late to cancel the exam since it was being conducted at various centres all over the country and 35,000 people were appearing for it,’’ said a source. However, by Saturday, the CBI had arrested four persons—R C Naik and D S Murthy, administrative officers of the Western and Eastern Naval Command, Ranbir Singh Rawat, former Navy sailor and current owner of a defence recruitment agency, Manasa International, and Haryana-based teacher Hoshiar Singh Rawat.

I’m very disturbed, Thakur told his wife
The CBI had also raided United Lodge near Crawford Market in Mumbai, where 138 candidates were being dictated the question paper and the correct answers.

Chief PRO (defence) Captain Manohar Nambiar clarified that the arrested persons were not
naval personnel but defence civilian officers posted at the Western and Eastern Naval Command.

While questioning the accused on Saturday, the CBI learnt that the exam paper had been leaked from Atharva Printing Press, and on Sunday a team went to Sinhgarh Road in Pune where the press was located. “Since it was shut, we called up Thakur and asked him to come there,’’ said a CB officer, adding that Thakur informed his wife and relatives, and requested them to be there during the inquiry.

“Thakur’s wife and relatives came to the press much before he reached,’’ continued the officer. “After half an hour, Thakur called up his wife, asking her to come and meet him. He told her he was disturbed and wanted to talk to her first. Our team members also followed so that he could not escape. However, when they reached there, they saw that Thakur was suffering from chest pain. His relatives rushed him to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9.30 pm.’’

Sources said that Naik had leaked the question paper, for which candidates were charged between Rs 15,000 and Rs 50,000. Naik was one of the members on the Navy’s recruitment committee. “He went to the printing press, where he copied the question paper on a pen drive,’’ said an official. “He then handed it over to his colleague, Murthy, who took print-outs.’’

Ranbir Singh Rawat, the kingpin, has over 15 placement agencies all over the country. “During a raid at Rawat’s house in Vishakhapatnam, we recovered Rs 17 lakh. In another raid at his Manasa International, the CBI recovered Rs 3 lakh. Besides this, more than 50 passports belonging to job-seeking candidates were recovered,’’ said deputy IG P Salunke.

The CBI also raided Murthy’s house and found a question paper in his laptop. “This question paper was of another examination that was conducted on August 20 this year for clerical posts in the Navy. Another question paper found in the laptop was identical to the question paper that was issued for Sunday’s exam,’’ added Salunke.

The CBI has found that Atharva Consultancy, a computer company, is also owned by Rawat.

The Times of India, September, 28, 2010

Navy officers in dock for exam paper leak

IN BLACK & WHITE: CBI’s joint director, Mumbai-I zone, Rishi Raj Singh, displays the leaked navy recruitment exam’s question papers in Mumbai on Sunday

Mateen Hafiz & Rahul Tripathi | TNN

Mumbai/New Delhi: The CBI on Sunday arrested four persons in Mumbai, including two administration officers of the Indian Navy, in connection with an exam paper leak. Question papers for the lower division clerk exam were leaked on Saturday by the accused who charged between Rs 15,000 and Rs 50,000 from around 138 candidates to share the questions with them.

The exam was conducted at various places across the country on Sunday and 35,000 candidates appeared for it. Several bank accounts have been seized and sleuths suspect it to be a bigger employment racket.

Those arrested were identified as R C Naik, D S Murthy, both administration officers in Western and Eastern Naval Commands respectively, Ranbir Singh Rawat, owner of Manasa International defence recruitment agency in Andhra Pradesh’s Vishakapatnam, and a Haryana-based teacher, Hoshiar Singh Rawat. Ranbir Rawat is a former sailor in the Indian Navy. All the four accused will be produced in court on Monday.

CBI says leak risk to nat’l security
Rishi Raj Singh, joint director (Mumbai-I zone), said the CBI got a tipoff about some candidates coming to United lodge near Crawford Market in south Mumbai where the accused were to provide them information about the question papers. Singh added that the accused had leaked the question paper to 138 candidates who appeared for the exam at Navy Nagar Centre in Mumbai on Sunday.

The accused had taken between Rs 15,000 and Rs 50,000 from various candidates who had come from different parts of the country. The exam was held to fill up 175 posts of clerks at Western Naval Command headquarters. “This is a serious offence. These people put Indian security at stake and tried to ensure that unqualified candidates get the jobs,’’ said Singh.

CBI is also probing if more defence officials were involved in the racket. “We had a tip-off that Naik, the prime accused, had leaked the question paper with the help of a pen drive and handed it over to his colleague Murthy who in return took out a number of printed copies of the question paper at Pune,’’ said Singh. The copies were then handed over to Ranbir Rawat who operates over 15 placement agencies all over the country, the CBI said.

During a raid, CBI officials recovered printed question papers from the possession of Hoshiar Singh along with many handwritten copies of the questions. CBI also seized Rs 1.85 lakh and several bank deposit receipts from the accused. The police also seized handwritten receipts acknowledging payments made by the candidates to the accused persons and touts. “We have seized a register in which it was mentioned which candidate had given how much and who is yet to pay,’’ Singh said.

The CBI suspect Ranbir Rawat to be the kingpin of the scam. During another raid at a hotel in Colaba where Rambir Rawat was staying along with Murthy, printed copies of the question paper were recovered. On Sunday, CBI obtained a copy of the question paper from Navy Nagar exam centre from the chairman of the board conducting the exam and found that the questions matched those in the papers recovered from the accused.

The Times of India, September 27, 2010

‘Attack on Salem aide could be a display of loyalty to Dossa’

Mateen Hafeez I TNN

Mumbai: Following the assault on gangster Abu Salem’s aide inside Arthur Road prison on Saturday, according to police sources, D-gang member Mustafa Dossa is trying to reorganise his gang. The attack on Salem’s aide by the two young inmates could be an attempt to display loyalty to Dossa.

Salem’s associate, Hasan Mehendi, was allegedly assaulted by two members of the Pandav Putra gang—Pratap Patil and Mangesh Shelar. While the police kept saying that they were yet to get custody of the two accused and question them thoroughly, a senior police officer, based on Mehendi’s initial statement, said that Dossa was reorganising his gang in jail. “Dossa
had a fight with Salem in July. Mehendi was present during the scuffle and is a key witness. Mehendi has said on Saturday that Dossa had been helping Pandav Putra gang members and they were assigned the job of attacking him so that he either turns hostile or keeps mum,’’ the officer said.

Mehendi, had also deposed before the court, saying he had seen Dossa attack Salem. “Dossa roams around on the entire jail premises. He sits with inmates and solves their problems. He also helps them in fighting their cases so new inmates join his group,’’ said a police officer.

Mehendi and three other inmates were shifted to Taloja jail on Sunday due to “security reasons”, said the police. Mehendi’s mentor Salem is already lodged in Taloja jail.

The Times of India, September 27, 2010

Sim dealers see red over police drive

HANGING UP ON CUSTOMERS

Mateen Hafeez | TNN

Mumbai: With cops cracking down on vendors selling sim cards without verification, several shops in south and central Mumbai have put up a notice saying “sim cards not available”. The police drive comes after a terror SMS from members of the banned outfit, Indian Mujahideen. The prepaid sim used on that mobile was purchased without the vendor verifying the antecedents of the buyers, the police said.

“We get only 2% from selling sim cards. How can the service provider or the police expect us to verify documents for prepaid sim cards?’’ said Amjad Khan, owner of Misbah Electronics at Agripada. According to Khan, service providers should check the authenticity of documents. “As the companies send their executives to collect and verify documents for postpaid sims, they should do so for prepaid cards too,’’ he said.

The L T Marg police had last week arrested Enaar Ansari, the owner of Nadeem Communication from Crawford Market for selling sim cards on fake documents. “Ansari sold the documents and photos of a taxi driver to at least 20 people for Rs 100 extra,’’ said an officer.

“Once we collect the documents from a buyer, we send them to the respective companies. The police should contact the service providers,’’ a dealer said. “We will soon move court regarding the issue,’’ said another dealer.

The Times of India, September 27, 2010