Is police acting deliberately?

Investigating agencies in any serial blasts by terrorists usually have two big-time `friends' - the ubiquitous cell phones and emails. The perpetrators behind most attacks were traced by combing through a series of cell phone calls or by sifting through millions of emails, including some in coded language. In 13th July Blast Mumbai police suspect two residents of Juhu and Grant Road, Subhan alias Tauqir and Aslam. Police need their email ID; can any Indian hacker reach to them? Can any cyber security cell do the miracle? However, how are these mails going to help police? Nowadays, almost every kid knows the trick to use temporally email IDs and everyone know the funda to maintain anonymity on internet. Not only Abdul Subhan alias Tauqir is a computer engineer but also an expert in making bombs. And, this is known to the mastermind and chief of Indian Mujahideen also known as Bin Laden of India. Thus, it’s not easy to get the personal email ID of Tauqir.

Another thing is that when police is aware about whom they are where they stay and their other details then can’t they raid their place and nab them? Or it’s again a stunt to mislead media and common man? The men behind the attacks kept far way from cell phones and emails. The only time they used the cell phone was to trigger the bomb I guess. Moreover, the terrorists are well versed with the city; rains have helped them erasing many traces. Whoever is behind this attack, one thing can be said that they have used every resource accurately. They knew the exact time and places where there would be gullible crowds and used the rainy climate for two purposes. It was raining heavily and most people in the area were either using umbrellas or were in raincoats that masked their face. Hence, the series of snooping CCTV cameras could hardly `capture' the men who may have planted the explosive material. Fuel oil is an essential component and as it acts as a force to ammonium nitrate, it helps increasing strength of the explosion. This proves that whoever is behind the attack has to be local Mumbaikar. And if suppose this is done by some outsider then, to study that location and doing recce, he should have definitely visited the location in the past. Instead of looking at current CCTV footages police should look at previous footages and try to find out the new visitors. Moreover studying CCTV footages of airport or railways stations or bus stand is again a time waste, because there are many ways to escape from Mumbai.

One option is taking a ferry through see from Gateway to Panvel, and Panvel to highways towards Pune. Second option, there are several private bus services from one locations to another; third option, Mumbai is blessed with hideouts and shelters for criminals, may be someone sheltered them and helped to escape. Beating around the bush is not the solution at this moment. Investigators are now banking on huge amounts of forensic verification sifted from the area and the reams of CCTV images from the blast sites.

Look at the irony, our Central Government doesn't have any road-map or guideline to foil or prevent such attacks. It is certainly least concerned about well being of its citizens. This is the seriousness of the government that the most important portfolio RAILWAY which has largest employees, remains without union railway ministers for months only because coalition partner is indecisive to choose one. Keeping in mind the innocent lives at stake Indian government needs to act swiftly. We are not at all 'resilience' just the fact is that we have no choice. The people of India who are responsible for the safety and security of the country are thoroughly corrupt, in-efficient, inept and unbecoming of the high and administrative offices they are holding. Our border security is next to non-existent and our borders with Bangladesh, Myanmar and Pakistan are porous. Traffickers pay huge bribes to the officers and men of BSF and freely and fearlessly cross the borders from both the sides. The govt. of India is not blind to all these, but directly and indirectly encouraging such corrupt people to man the borders for their narrow political gains as the immigrant population, belonging to a particular community and religion always and invariably, votes for one particular political party. Our security and intelligence officers do not bother to do their duty for the nation but are involved in turf wars and ego clashes. India needs a revolution to throw out all the corrupt and criminal forces. Investigations in the blast case are on the line of as usual process, no extra efforts made for reaching criminals, helpless police and administrations just passing the bucks and moving with thick skin.

Look at Ajmal Aamir Kasab, he is eating nicely cooked biryani and enjoying his time after killing so many people, police any how managed to catch him and finish trials. But can anyone really damage or deter him? He has put on 11 KG weight since his arrest, looks cool and relaxed because he is aware of his good fate. Look at Abu Salem, he comes to court for trials like a Bollywood hero laughing at Law. Goes back to jail gracefully, doing gym, maintain his skin and watching TV, reading news. Moreover, he even contested elections from Ajamgad sitting in our own Indian Jail. If this is what terrorists are going to receive in our country, then they are not even bothered to be caught. They are running and still you reach them, once you nab them they will hit headlines, they will be talked and shown round the clock, they will discussed and finally land in jail to have their relaxing time. They will remain as under trials, government will take care of them spending crores of rupees and energy. Police personals will be busy narrating all glossy stories about terrorists, their defense lawyers will narrate every glossy story to make it more attentive and interesting. We the public will forget who he was and what they have done to us, because we have very short memory.

Blast Blast and Blast

Were Wednesday’s triple blasts that killed 17 and injured more than a 100 innocent people an outcome of the fierce gangland rivalry between the one-time friends and now bitter foes, Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan?

Well, this may or may not be true, but some in intelligence circles believe that since investigators probing the ghastly July 13 explosions so far remain clueless about the identity of their perpetrators, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to include the above angle within the scope of their investigations.The proponents of the theory of gangland involvement in last Wednesday’s bombings say their suspicion is not entirely a figment of imagination.

There are some bases to at least remotely link the triple blasts to gangland warfare, claim the proponents, saying that the fact that the hub of Mumbai’s diamond trade was largely targeted in the July 13 attacks should be a reason enough to explore the angle.

The March 1993 blasts that ripped through parts of the metropolis were perpetrated in almost similar fashion and their main targets were the diamond trade and the Bombay Stock Exchange.

The hub of the diamond trade, comprising the Opera House area of South Mumbai and the neighboring Zaveri Bazar—both gem and jewelry centers of India—fall within the fiefdom of Chhota Rajan.

These centers and the trade therein are thoroughly dominated by Gujarati Hindus whose proximity to Narendra Modi-led government in Gujarat could be a reason enough for those purporting to serve Muslim interests to seek a vendetta for the so-called massacre of their brethren in Gujarat a decade ago.

Then, the explosions took place only a little after gem trade tycoons Mehul Choksi and Bharat Shah announced with much fanfare recently to mark August 12 as the International Diamond Day.

The proponents of this theory within the intelligence circles point to Dawood-Chhota rivalry being still quite alive and fierce by referring to senior crime scribe J Dey’s killing recently.

It is no secret that Dey was gunned down by Rajan’s henchmen since the latter suspected that the journalist was close to the rival Dawood gang.

Moreover, if cross-border terrorists were involved in Wednesday’s ghastly incidents, they would have been quick to claim responsibility since terrorists believe publicity is crucial to their sinister motives.

Even if the terrorists at home—the Indian Mujahideen—were involved in the blasts they, too, would be loud-mouthed and make quick claims—their cowardly operations in the past clearly suggest that.

And the big question being asked by the proponents of this gangland warfare theory is, why those in the diamond trade not raising their voice in protest despite being so articulate and influential? Are they on the defensive for some unfathomable reason or reasons?

Or, are they paying the dual price for seeking patronage from Chhota Rajan and being Gujarati Hindus?

Moreover, intelligence circles have no doubt in their minds that whoever are the perpetrators, they were more than familiar with the places they targeted and knew exactly when there would be gullible crowds to aim at.

If the perpetrators were outsiders, as is being believed by some, they would have visited the locations in the past, so past CCTV footages could be scanned.

And the fact that, say sources, oil fuel was used in the explosions to increase their intensity, lends added credence to the theory of locals’ involvement in the dastardly July 13 incidents.

Well, the riddle of the blasts can be solved in no time if the Mumbai Police lay their hands on two suspects—one is a resident of Juhu, the other from the Grant Road area.

The duo the cops have launched a manhunt for are Subhan alias Taukir, and Aslam. Police are looking for their email IDs. Are hackers at home with national interest at heart listening?

Top intelligence sleuths probing Wednesday’s explosions are, meanwhile, looking at all angles in their quest to zero in on the perpetrators of the ghastly bombings.

CCTV footages are being looked at but with little success since, according to sources, it was raining heavily at the time the explosions took place and people were moving near the scenes of the blasts with umbrellas shielding their heads or with top-to-toe raincoats masking their faces, which is making identification an uphill task.

For Investgative Journalists, politicians, police, underworld, and subject of reserch are an inevitable evil in today's situation

J Dey’s death was a very shocking incident. I was restless and paranoid about the appalling conditions faced by journalists while discharging their duties. I was Dey’s great fan as a crime correspondent. I always tried to be as good as he was. I used to compete with Mid-day two years back when I was working with ADC. Whenever there used to be crime story by J Dey, our editor Mobin Pandit used to point out saying look at this. If you have to be a good crime correspondent, you will have to be well resourced and researched. Often, I used to follow Dey’s stories and provide a new angle to it by adding more research and that’s how, we became better reporters. It’s sad to notice ones senior’s death like this. His reporting encouraged hundreds of journalists like me, but his death stole our confidence and faith in this government. Brother of journalism fraternity has passed away. Fraternity; unfortunately is not strong enough to attract common man’s sympathy.
Journalists, politicians, police and underworld is an inevitable evil in today's situation. The current scenario has been prevailing since last three decades. The circular talks of the founding rot in the city police; such as the orderlies of senior officials being parallel establishment. These officials have business partnership with the illegal dens like matka and boot legging. CP says that these parallel power centers sms their parallel paymasters alerting about the possible police raid. To talk of Dey's most recent endeavour into the fortress of oil-mafia; one may recall some lead stories in an English morninger in 2008 and again in 2010 stating how two suspected terrorists who had carried out a murder of an oil adulterator for the benefit of another adulterator were handed over to Indonesian embassy by Mumbai police. The duo was nabbed as their local guide panicked and informed the city cops that their satellite phone usage was worrying.

The IB and crime branch sleuths were aghast to know that after carrying out the murder operation for a city based oil-mafia don; they were doing rekey of the sea shore as their colleagues were to land from Indonesia for carrying out an attack on US embassy in Mumbai. The duo was handed over to the embassy of Indonesia. The attack did take place, what world is this we are living in where our Chief of City Police has to detail out such scenario in a warning circular to the same very people who are beneficiaries of this parallel policing. Wiki leaks have relayed a cable sent by Mumbai Consulate of USA to Washington in which we read an essay on city cops working for Dawood Ibrahim. How can some unidentified persons kill such seasoned reporter for such proximity? And still not traced? The Maharashtra government failed to protect the journalist to hunt down the murderers. Dey’s reporting on the underworld made him a respected byline, but it was his passion for wildlife that drew him to journalism. He authored two books on the operations of the mafia and was on the hit-list of several mafia dons and on numerous occasions received threatening calls.

Despite being aware about the threat to Dey’s life, Police failed to protect him. His stories about government departments and land scams created ripples in the state legislature. He recently exposed a Rs 10,000-crore oil-mafia scam. In crime reporting, the passion to get breaking news sometimes demands a very heavy price, and eminent crime reporter J Dey paid the ultimate one, raising the question whether a journalist is really free to write against anti-social elements. The attack on media persons is not new to this city. Journalists have always been targeted by the underworld, political goons and sometimes even the police. In 1997, known crime reporter Baljeet Parmar was shot at Antop Hill. The firing was believed to be carried out by the underworld gangster Chhota Rajan. Earlier, in 1982, AK Narayan a Ulhasnagar journalist working with Blitz was hacked to death by one Maruti Yadav at the behest of the underworld which was unhappy with his exposes connecting local politicians to them.
Narayan’s body was packed into two metal boxes and left at his own doorstep. Though

Yadav was nabbed, no underworld connection could be established. In June 2009, four media-persons were manhandled in Parel by men allegedly owing allegiance to the Bahujan Samaj Party. Television journalist Amit Joshi was brutally assaulted by local goons with sticks and rods while he was covering an incident in August last year. To get hard and authentic news, an investigative reporter has to build sources within the police, as well as among the anti-social element groups. The more we get into this, more the risk. We are not only watched by the police, but also the underworld. Though the risk of being shot or assaulted is an integral part of a crime reporter’s life, it is his family which has to live in the constant fear of losing him. People often advice me to get out of crime reporting and opt for another beat. A sustained campaign against the underworld has often resulted in a death threat to journalists.

The CID isn’t headed by a Commissioner, this is the elite’ wing of the State police. Their website talks of its job profile. The Commissioner of this wing issued a statement a week after Mumbai attacks that CID is not concerned with terror related intelligence. This man was awarded the post of police commissioner Mumbai and later DGP of State. Hasan Gafur; then CP of Mumbai who took to streets while his colleagues preferred to comply with vows given to their wives that they would not leave control room; was shunted out for his rave act. The architects of the miss-communication, fraudulent communication on wireless leading to the death of many police officers and men were considered to be reliable witnesses by the Pradhan commission led an Ex-MLC.

Dey’s demise has given a last alert; and if we do not wipe out the evils in seats of power now; we will not have another alert. Anyone of us can be the next target.
my tribute to J' Day..I lost one of my senior journalist