Monday November 3,
At 3.30 pm Press Club Mumbai.
Mr. Javed Akhtar, Mr
Mahesh Bhat, Mr Nandan Maluste, Mr. Anil Dharker, Mr. Javed Anand
and Ms. Teesta Setalvad address the media.
Stop
the Politicisation of Bomb Terror
CJP
demands that the Central Government appoint a Sitting Three-Member
Tribunal of Supreme Court Judges to oversee the Investigations into
all Terror Related Crime Investigations. Only such a transparent
process will help trace the tentacles of this hitherto unsuspected
monster that threatens national security, public peace and harmony.
Recent developments
have shown undue pressure and politicization of the law and order
machinery into terror/blast investigations. Not only was there for
the past several years, a blatantly selective demonization of the
minorities when it comes to incidents of terror; recent developments
have revealed, that various different political outfits are using
violence and terror within Indian democracy to further narrow
political ends. It is therefore imperative that
An
Independent Judicial Scrutiny is a must for the following reasons:
1.
Vagaries and Inconsistencies in the Investigation Processes are
brought to the attention of the Tribunal, and public before the
finality of a chargesheet being filed. The absence of such a non
partisan judicial monitor has succeeded in limiting and influencing
of the prosecution of the guilty and has, in fact therefore
preventing the real guilty from being brought to book;
2.
Gross abuse of political power and influence into the investigations
are being similarly exposed holding ordinary Indian citizens, of
each and all communities victims and hostages to terror. With
outfits related to extreme and political outfits claiming to speak
on behalf of Hinduism and Islam allegedly behind the attacks, the
ordinary Hindu and Muslim is not just under threat but the national
security of the country in grave danger.
3.
Preliminary leads into the gruesome and tragic blasts
that took over 68lives in Assam just recently alleged and suggest
even a ULFA and HUJI link. This cynical use of bomb terror by
communal, fanatic and extreme outfits of all hues requires that
Independent Judicial Scrutiny is maintained of all investigations.
Reports of the investigations into the recent 2008 Malegaon blasts
have also suggested that there is a Bangladeshi angle with the
interrogation of five members of Abhinav Bharat Sangathana (ABS),
who allegedly hatched conspiracy and conducted the terror strike in
Malegaon, stating that their group had links across the border, this
time in Bangladesh. According to ATS sources, the ABS has around
5,000 members, around 20 of who are from Bangladesh. According to
ATS sources, based on the interrogation of Kulkarni, they are on the
lookout for two Bangladeshis who attended the Kolkata meeting of the
ABS. “Kulkarni has revealed that they had conducted various meetings
across the country and one such meeting was held at Kolkata,”
sources said, adding, “Two Bangladeshis had attended this meeting.
These Bangladeshis are Hindus.” Kulkarni is the chief promoter and
campaigner of the ABS and was employed by serving Colonel S. Prasad
Purohit. Kulkarni is a commerce graduate and his father is employees
by the Mahrashtra state electricity board in Jalgaon. “Kulkarni was
even paid Rs 5,000 as monthly salary by the ABS,” sources said.
4.
Issues like the dangerous leakages of explosive substances like RDX,
Gelatine Sticks and Ammonium Nitrate – all substances that are
governed, monitored and controlled strictly under different
legislations are in fact being leaked out –even from the Indian Army
and BSF control—and finding themselves into the market. This is
truly dangerous for any society but especially so when a society is
now subject to an assault from different outfits generating terror;
a) CC/CJP Monitor on Terror has monitored that
though a leading national daily The Hindustan Times
investigated and exposed on that after the seizure of 185 kg of RDX
from a scrap dealer Shankar Shelke on September 2 (six days before
the first Malegaon blast) he committed suicide and was found dead on
September 10, 2006 after being absconding for a week. An employee of
ShelkeÂ’s Shankar Gaikwad was absconding. Then ASP Mahesh Patil had
told the national daily that calls were made by Shelke in fictitious
names and that a new angle to these issues was how military
ammunition is being stolen/leaked and being used and by whom; This
case is languishing
b) The Times of India had reported how barely
fifty miles from Mumbai, in the dense woods around Tansa Lake,
anyone could buy gelatine sticks for just Rs 50 from tribals; This
case is also languishing
c) After the 2008 Ahmedabad blasts the state
government stated that the leak of gelatine sticks and explosives
was from a Rajasthan Dholpur factory; the SP of that district
admitted the leaks; thereafter the Maharashtra ATS also found that
the gelatine sticks used in the Thane Panvel blasts were also from
the same source.
d)
The RDX and other explosives used in the September 29
Malegaon blasts that claimed five lives may have been pilfered from
an Indian Army ammunition depot. This was revealed during the
interrogation of the two retired army officers presently being
questioned by the ATS, said top police sources, who refused to be
named. It is not yet clear, however, as to which ammunition depot in
the country it was pilfered from. Mumbai Police Commissioner Hasan
Gafoor has neither confirmed nor denied the information. “People are
still being questioned and these are matters of investigation,” he
said. (The Times of India, October 27, 2008)
5.
Please refer to ‘Blast After Blast’ issue of Communalism Combat
that exposes the role of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
into the Nanded 2006 Bomb Blast case and also analyses
contradictions of the Gujarat blasts probe. Issues related to laxity
in tracking information related to SIMI given by Maharashtra ATS and
Madhya Pradesh STF, by the Gujarat police is stark. In July-August
2008, CC in its 15th anniversary issues raised
issues related to training by military officers especially by
Santkumar Bhate former militaryman. The ATS Maharashtra simply
interrogated Bhate and let him off without arrest though he stated
that he was actively involved in training in the use of violent
explosives both Bajrang Dal members (115) at which training at the
Bhonsla Military School was revealed. While CBI mentions Bhate as
witness in its chargesheet the CBI, shockingly allows him to go scot
free. Today with the issue of another former armyman Ramesh Upadhye
and the questioning of Lt Colonel Prasad Purohit, the suggestion
that the politicisation of sections of the army is taking place
cannot be ignored. The issue of ideological screening of armymen and
IB officials given the communalised face of terror is also critical.
6.
Malegaon 2008 blast. Even before the recent revelations alleging
involvement of certain outfits behind the blasts key questions
raised are: the local police chowky near Bhiku Chowk where the
blasts took place was informed at least three hours prior to the
blast, by one hotel worker Iqbal Ahmed that an unidentified bike was
standing there looking suspicious. Neither the Bhiku Chowk staff nor
the police parol, including women stationed at Anjuman Chowk
patrolled the area and examined the bike that finally exploded
around 9.35 p.m. killing five people on the spot. Security had been
lax for two days prior just as on September 8, 2006, the day of
Shab-e-Barat, the security that had been tight until Ganpathy
immersion was suddenly lifted by then SP Rajwardhan.
7. Information
of the Modasa bike blasts also points two political pressure and
influence trying to cover up the accused.
8. Recent
investigations into the 7/11 blasts by the Mumbai Crime Branch (Times
of India, October 15, 2008) reveal contradictions between the
investigation under former Commissioner of Police, AN Roy in 2006 (chargesheet
has already been filed) and the new leads being followed by Mumbai
being followed by the Crime Branch that point to different culprits
and a whole new list of accused. The serious contradictions are
exposed in the earlier chargesheet filed by these agencies . These
recently revealed contradictions underline the need for transparent
and responsible scrutiny of terror related investigations given the
sensitivity and aggressive politicisation of the incidents by
different sides of the political class that also seeks to influence
the police and the CBI.
9. CBI
Cover Up of Nanded
The CBI Chargesheet
into the Nanded Blasts of 2006 filed in 2008 completely covers
up the role of the RSS/VHP/Bajrang Dal Maharashtra wide network that
was training youth in the manufacture of explosives and bombs after
indoctrinating them in hate propaganda against India’s Muslims.
Despite the fact that the Maharashtra ATS had chargesheeted
accused persons involved in the blasts of 2006 for dressing ‘like
Muslims’ and bursting bombs at the Mohammadiya Masjid in Parbhani
(2003), Quadriya Masjid Jalna August 2004) and at the Meraj Ul Uloom
Madrassa/Masjid in Purna in Parbhani (August 2004), the CBI’s
chargesheet exmorates the accused and their organisations of any
terror conspiracy.
The Maharashtra ATS investigations into the Thane
Panvel blasts shows that members of the Sanatan Sanstha,, Hindu
Jan Jagran Samiti and Gurukripa Pratishthan are involved and
ironically,investigations reveal that Karan Singh of the Jammu
Sangharsh Samiti and Swami Dharmesh are also members of the
Sanathan Sanstha. Investigations also reveal that the Sanathan
Sanstha publishes Santhan Prabhat, who’s editor has been indicted
for fomenting communal violence. The publication is published from
Goa, North Karnataka, Mumbai and Jammu.
Nanded-Parbhani-Purnea-Jalna Terror Link. 2007 Blast Case also
being buried. (see Annexure to press note)
12.
Our
nationwide monitor has also revealed the following terror related
incidents and investigation lacunae that have fallen off the public
radar.
A) Mhow
bomb blast that occured on 22.4.2002., at 6.00pm near the Swarg
Mandir , Mhow. Complainant / victim was Mr. Chandmal agarwal. So
far 4 accused have been arrested. The following have been arrested:
1) Shekhar choudary s/o Mangilal choudary , Mhow.
2) Satyanarayana, s/o PArameswar parmar, village Harsola, Kurda
these 2 were arrested on 8-9-2003.
3) Mukesh Patidar s/o Jule lal Patidar, Mhow
4) Rajesh Misra s/o, Sital misra, Pithampur these 2 were arrested
on 12-9-2003
All the above 4 persons were also arrested in Pyare Lal Ninama
murder case. Manpur, dated 8-9-2003. in this pyare lal ninama murder
case total 10 persons were arrested which includes the above four
persons. The main conspirator behind these 2 cases was found to be
one Sanjay Joshi. who was recently murdered in Dewas.
The Mhow bomb blast case of 2002 is still pending with CID Bhopal
where as the murder case is under trial .
Similarly our team will be investigating the other
blast related cases from Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat even before 2002
and will be releasing these investigations, periodically.
The Citizens for Justice and Peace through
Communalism Combat has been, for over three years now been
closely monitoring all blast investigations from statements revealed
in the media through a team headed by Teesta Setalvad, secretary and
co-editor, CC. This study that shall be on the internet by
November 15, 2008 will raise logical and searching questions from
the eye of the independent legal and human rights perspective. This
will be information available for the public.
Javed
Akhtar Nandan Maluste Anil Dharker Mahesh Bhat
Javed
Anand Teesta Setalvad