Ethiopian girls ‘rescued’ from Military Intelligence Officials house

New Delhi, March 21: Two Ethiopian girls “rescued” this morning by a television channel team from the house of a Military Intelligence (MI) official in Delhi Cantonment where they had been allegedly “illegally detained” added a twist to the tale by telling South West District police that they had come to the official’s residence of their own accord.

However, police booked Samarawit (19) and Rehal (23) under the Foreigners Act after discovering that the girls who had come to India on a six-month business visa in June 2006 had overstayed. “At first we suspected that they might have been sexually assaulted so we sent them to Safdarjang Hospital for a medical examination but they refused,” a senior police officer said. Police officials said the girls could barely speak English.

Samarawit and Rehal were picked up in the morning from the P-10 Shankar Vihar, Defence Enclave residence of Army Major Rajeev Siroha after a television crew which was in the area inquiring about the two girls spotted a police team. “Our men were there on a routine job. The television crew came to them and informed that two girls had been illegally detained,” a senior South West District police official said.

The two girls were brought to the Delhi Cantonment police station but they insisted they had gone to Siroha’s residence on their own. “They have given us a statement that they had not been harassed by anybody,” a senior police officer said.

Senior MI officials reached the spot and said the girls were part of a secret operation and had been picked up by Military Intelligence for questioning in a drug smuggling case. Samarawit and Rehal told police they had gone to the Pegs and Pints pub in Chanakyapuri last night and were brought to Siroha’s house past midnight. “It is for the MI to sort out what exactly happened,” a senior police officer said.

The girls told police they had met an Indian in Ethiopia, adding: “He asked us to come to India from where he promised he would send us to USA. But after we came here the man disappeared. The man claimed that he represented a Hyderabad-based NGO.”

Terrorism : Biased Investigation

One more blast took place on 10th February 2007 in Nanded, city in the remote interiors of Mahrashtra, in the wee of hours of the morning. On the day next, the initial media reports did describe it as a blast. It took place in a biscuit shop, Amol Biscuits. It was a low key reporting in the media. In this blast one person, Pandurang Amilkanthwar, died instantly and another, Dyaneshwar Manikkwar, suffered 70% of burns and succumbed to his injuries on sixth day. In the initial statement, Manikwar said that it was an electric short-circuit. The next day he retracted his statement to say that he and Pandurang had deliberately put fire by using petrol to claim the insurance money as they were having financial problems.

Police and a section of media promptly accepted this version and stated that there was no political angle involved in the case, overlooking the fact that Pandurang was a Shiv Sena Shakha Pramukh, who was close to Bajrang Dal also. Just to recapitulate a year ago (April 6, 2006), in Nanded, in a blast two Bajrang Dal workers were killed while making a bomb. The police explained it as a burst of crackers. But the impact of the blast was too strong and the police version stood exposed. The blast shattered the windows in the surrounding area of over a Kilometer. The house search revealed the powerful bomb, with timer and remote control, after which the Inspector General of police conceded that it was a bomb blast and that those involved in the blast are the members of Bajrang Dal. Local papers reported that a diary has been found at the spot, which has the details of bomb making techniques and other relevant information. The local BJP MP stated that it was a minor incident. Meanwhile all the top leadership of RSS, VHP visited the hospital to see the injured and mourn the dead.

The police did arrest some fourteen people, who were close associates of the one's who died. But they were all released, as the charges under which they were arrested related to minor offense only. Also the police/state pleader had no objections if the bail was granted to the arrested ones. The Bajrang Dal chief and other activists of the dal were left untouched despite the correlation of blasts with this RSS affiliate. Anti Terrorist Squad Inspector General K.P.Raghuvanshi stated that the explosives and other weapons seized on the spot indicate that they were being trained in making bombs and operating firearms. They also started investigating the possible involvement of Bajrang Dal, a RSS affiliate, in a blast outside a mosque in Parbhani, two years ago.

One recalls that there were series of episodes and blasts in Maharashtra in Parbhani, Purna, Jalna, Mumbai and Malegaon. The most disturbing of these was the train blast in Mumbai, July 11 2006 and Malegaon September 8, 2006. The timing of blasts shows a clear pattern, barring in Mumbai, it was outside the mosques and in the afternoons. In the aftermath of Mumbai train blasts hundreds of Muslim youth were recklessly arrested in the Malvani area of Mumbai. In other places also many youth were put behind the bars on the slightest suspicion. This bias in police attitude was so blatant that in Malvani, the local people took the procession to the police station to get the innocent youth released. In Malegaon blast also, which took place on the day of Shab-e-Barat out side the Mosque near Bada kabristan, police acted on the ground that Muslim groups are involved in the process. Here also the arrests were mostly of those who had minority identity. Some of those with previous SIMI connection were the easy target. The local Muslim community was so disgusted with the attitude of the state and the police that it refused to accept the relief offered by the Chief Minister of the state under whose nose the biased attitude of police is clearly discernible. Interestingly in Malegaon police had been on high alert during the Ganapati festival, and dropped guards when it was Shab-e-Barat. The premise being that it is Muslims who create problem during Hindu festivals, else all is heavenly peace. The police had failed to take adequate precautions on a day prior to Shab-e-barat. They also expressed their frustration by boycotting the meeting called by minority commission and the panel which went to study the situation in the city.

The brain mapping and narco test of Nanded blast accused of 2006, revealed that Nanded was acting as the Bomb Nirmiti Kendra (Center for Making Bombs), guided and supported by the state level VHP and Bajrang Dal leaders. The plan was to make explosions in front of mosques on Friday Afternoons around 2 PM, when the attendance in the mosques is maximum. Himanshu Panse the one who died while making a bomb is known to have stated that unless, Hindus do the blasts near Mosques, it will be perceived as if Hindus are Hijras. The blasts are the only way to stop the attacks like the one in Varanasi and Delhi.

Coming on the heels of this Malegaon episode, the explanation given for the current, 2007, Nanded incident was very puzzling. The Citizens Committee, which investigated the incident points out that the deceased changed his statement within hours. In the current event, a scooter parked on the side of the road at some distance got burnt, the presence of nails and blades, gas cylinder in the room remaining unaffected and some food items not catching fire, indicated that there is a possibility of blasts. The committee amongst others comprised of the retired High Court judge of Mahrashtra, Justice Kolse Patil and noted social worker, Teesta Setalvad. The committee with the help of on sight inspections, interviews and opinions of forensic experts concludes that it was not a short circuit fire. The available evidence leads it to opine that it might have been an explosion caused due to an accident during the preparation of liquid bomb. It might have been due to combination of liquid inflammable substances. Surprisingly similar techniques have also been used in causing the blast in Samjhauta Express, in which most of those killed were poor Muslims.

One wonders what is happening to the investigations in such matters of serious concern. The contrast in the treatment of accused of two religious communities is glaringly obvious. We know the attitude and high handedness of state and police authorities in dealing with Mumbai and Malegaon blasts, one has seen the ?promptness? of the authorities in apprehending any body from the Muslim minority even on the slightest pretext and to keep such a person in the custody on one ground or other. There are too many gory tales about the lock up deaths and the type of treatment meted out to some of the accused. In the case, of Nanded blasts, the one of 2006 and the one of 2007, despite the narco test report and brain mapping the inaction shown by authorities concerned is totally baffling. The new police commissioner of Mumbai, Dhananjay Jadhav, has stated that tackling terrorism will be on the top of his priority list. What does he mean? Will he at least try to look at all the evidence in an impartial way to punish the guilty and protect the innocent? Will he break the shackles of prejudices binding the police force while dealing with the minorities? If that?s what he means, it is a welcome sign for the state riddled with so many acts of terror. There needs a turn around in the policy of the state government and police officials who have been taking a blind partisan view and attitude in the investigation of the events like this.

The conclusions reached by the committee, more so in the wake of earlier similar blast in Nanded, and the efforts to present sop stories to cover up the incidents point to the deeper conspiracy hatched by groups equally insane and fanatic as the one?s belonging to Al Qaeda are. What is surprising is that the so called secular government of Maharashtra which got elected on the secular ground, on the ground that it will implement the Shrikrishna commission report which it never did of course, has been very biased in its policies as reflected in the investigations done in the cases of Mumbai and Malegaon blasts. It has failed to connect up the Nanded blasts of April 2006 and has treated these incidents with jaundiced vision. None of the functionaries of Bajarang Dal have been taken to task, and the parent organization of Bajrang Dal, RSS sits pretty. Its time Central government intervenes, and inquiry of all the terror incidents in Maharashtra is handed over to CBI or preferably to the committee headed by a judge of impeccable credentials. Are Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh listening?

Kashmir " Staged Killings" Must be probed : HRW

NEW DELHI, Feb 15 (Reuters) - The alleged killing of innocent Kashmiris by Indian security forces in staged gunbattles must be independently investigated, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday.

The New York-based group also wants India to establish a "credible and independent" commission to probe the disappearance of thousands of people from the Himalayan region since 1989, the year a separatist Muslim revolt against New Delhi's rule erupted.

"The Indian security forces have 'disappeared' countless people in Jammu and Kashmir since 1989 and staged fake encounter killings while fabricating claims that those killed were militants," Brad Adams, the group's Asia director, said.

Last month, security forces started investigations into recent incidents in which policemen allegedly murdered five civilians.

Their bodies were then believed to have been passed off as militants shot in self-defence to earn cash rewards and medals.

The Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered a judicial probe into those incidents, which have sparked deep anguish and violent protests across the Muslim-dominated Kashmir valley.

But Human Rights Watch has doubts about its credibility.

"We welcome judicial inquiries into encounter killings, but given the government's track record, there is reason to be sceptical," Adams said in a statement.

Human Rights Watch also said it had been told by Indian security officials on condition of anonymity that fake encounter killings in Kashmir are common.

Indian authorities have so far arrested eight policemen, including two senior officers, who are accused of killing the five civilians last year on the outskirts of Indian Kashmir's summer capital of Srinagar.

On Thursday, relatives of people who have disappeared held a protest in Srinagar, shouting "Where are our dear ones?", and holding pictures of the missing persons.

The Kashmir-based Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons has also called for a probe into the disappearance of around 10,000 people.

But authorities say the number of missing people is between 1,000 and 3,000, and deny allegations that people disappear from custody.

More than 40,000 people have been killed in a revolt, officials say. Human rights groups put the toll at about 60,000 dead or missing. (Additional reporting by Sheikh Mushtaq in Srinagar)

When Sangh Parivar played ball with intelligence bureau

The book title says it all. Open Secrets: India's Intelligence Unveiled by Maloy Krishna Dhar, contains enough ammo to demolish many a carefully built reputation.

But most of what the former sleuth, who retired as a joint director of the Central Intelligence Bureau, says about leading men and women in politics, media, business, etc, has been an open secret.

The value of the book does not lie in its disclosures, for those inside the capital's power loop were already aware about the seamier side of these characters.

It lies in the affirmation by the country's top intelligence operative, no less, of what were mere suspicions about the sleazy doings of the people in question.

Whether or not Dhar breached the Official Secrets Act in reproducing the official dossiers is a question for the authorities to consider, but quite a few characters who have had their façade of respectability torn open by the revelations will find it hard to rebut the author.

It is for them to come forward and counter the charges. Though he has refrained from naming some of the people he writes about, it is not hard to figure out whom the cap fits.

So here are some of the nuggets regarding the Sangh Parivar which demolish the myth that it is an exceptionally disciplined, or even straight, lot.

Dhar reveals that when V.P. Singh became prime minister, Murli Manohar Joshi promoted the candidature of Rajendra Prasad Joshi as IB chief.

"Murli Manohar wanted his own man to lead the IB, an organisation that could virtually open up the treasure trove of intelligence to him, Rajendra Prasad, in his own turn, exploited the relationship to promote the interest of his prime minister.

The RSS/BJP were not aware that in his eagerness to exploit the IB, Murli Manohar was sharing consciously and subconsciously strategic information about the Hindutva organisation's forthcoming earthshaking policies" (Page 378)

This one reveals how the Reliance patriarch, the late Dhirubhai Ambani, was currying favour with former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

"There was no reason for the IB not to have access to the inner thinking process and the operational strategy of the Sangh Parivar. The Hindu outfit was sufficiently infiltrated by the IB.
Bombay-based industrialists close to Rajiv Gandhi had successfully cultivated a couple of RSS/BJP leaders, three of them journalists and one of the functionaries in Keshav Kunj [the regional headquarters of the RSS in New Delhi]."

"Two of the journalists [namely Balbir Punj and Dinanath Mishra] were admitted to the Rajya Sabha during the BJP regime. I am unable to disclose the name of the Keshav Kunj functionary due to certain constraints, but he enjoyed a top position.

"One of the industrialists [read Dhirubhai Ambani] was personally very close to a parochial chauvinist leader of Maharashtra [read Shiv Sena boss Bal Thackeray]. The Delhi office of the industrialist [Ambani] was in constant touch with Rajiv Gandhi and supplied him vital intelligence on the Sangh Parivar".

Postings and politicians

With the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, refusing to assert his authority in the matter of postings and transfers, the field is wide open for assorted Congressmen and ministers to exploit this all-important power to their own advantage.

Thus it is that for all key appointments, senior bureaucrats invariably approach senior Congress leaders widely considered as part of the 10 Janpath coterie.

At least two powerful party general secretaries not only insist on foreknowledge about the impending official-level changes but inevitably they also put a call to the officers concerned informing them about their new posts.

That way they not only manage to convey their clout with the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) but also collect IOUs from the bureaucrats concerned.

A matter of trust, this?

Textiles Minister Shankarsinh Vaghela is so keen to retain the services of a particular Gujarat cadre officer that despite the PMO nixing the proposal, the said officer continues to function as his PS.

Neither the Gujarat Government has released the said officer for a central deputation nor has the PMO cleared his posting as the Minister's aide.

However, unfazed Vaghela persists with the officer as his Man Friday. Small wonder they are beginning to espy something ulterior in this Minister-PS nexus.

By Virendra Kapoor, Special to Gulf News 12-02-2005, The writer is a well-known columnist.

PUCL demands action for all crimes commited by Salwa Judum and Security forces

Police chief faces flak
Telegraph India, 02 Nov 2006

People’s Union for Civil Liberties has charged the Chhattisgarh government with misleading the people over the alleged atrocities committed by the Naga IRB jawans. Reacting to Chhattisgarh director general of police (DGP) O.P. Rathor’s letter to the Nagaland government, the PUCL said the reports it compiled were not false and baseless.

The Chhattisgarh DGP had written to the Nagaland government dismissing reports compiled by certain NGOs who have reportedly accused Naga jawans of mass atrocities such as rape, murder and other human rights violation on the pretext of flushing out Maoists in the Bastar area.

PUCL president, Rajendra K. Sail said reports of human rights violations in Chhattisgarh during the last 30 years have never been found to be false and baseless. “This is true not only in Chhattisgarh, but all over the country. These reports and record of the PUCL have stood the test of time and also the scrutiny of the courts of the country,” the human rights group said. It said various courts, including the Supreme Court, have acted on the PUCL reports and recommendation and passed landmark judgments upholding the findings. It charged Chhattisgarh with not adhering to any form of democratic process to find a peaceful solution to the “civil war- like situation” in Dantewada district.

It has demanded that the government stop using people as a shield and create armed village defence committees as part of its anti-Naxal operations. It has also called for withdrawal of all paramilitary forces from the Bastar and Dantewada areas.

The PUCL demanded that an FIR be registered for all crimes committed by Salwa Judum and security forces and the culprits be prosecuted. The PUCL has urged both the government and Maoists to find a political resolution to the problem.

Kashmir parents protest against "disappearances"

Mon Oct 30, 2006

SRINAGAR, India (Reuters) - Dozens of parents protested in Kashmir's main city on Monday to demand information about their children who they said had disappeared since a rebellion broke out in the Himalayan region in 1989.

The Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), an independent group representing the parents of missing people, demonstrated at a park in Srinagar, Kashmir's summer capital, carrying photographs of the people they said had disappeared.

"At least return bodies of our dear ones, so that we can give them a proper funeral," cried 55-year-old housewife, Sondari, who uses only one name, holding a photograph of her son.

Sondari and others were wearing white headbands carrying the names of their relatives. Other demonstrators held placards saying "Stop disappearances."

APDP says 8,000 to 10,000 people have disappeared since 1989.

"All of the them vanished after their arrest by security forces," Parveena Ahanger, the president of APDP, said.

Authorities deny the allegations and say their investigations found most missing people had crossed the heavily militarised Line of Control into Pakistani Kashmir for arms training.

"Many of them have crossed the LoC and some have joined militant ranks," Kashmir's law minister, Abdul Hamid Qarra, said at a function last week.

Authorities say violence has steadily decreased since India and Pakistan, who have fought two wars over Kashmir, began a peace process in 2004.

"During the past one year there have been the lowest of all custodial deaths and disappearances since the inception of militancy in the state," Ghulam Nabi Azad, chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, said in a statement.

More than 45,000 people have been killed in 17 years of violence in the region.

Confessions dry up, ATS case falling apart

Menaka Rao, Indian Express, October 27, 2006

7/11: With two more accused citing police lapses, it’s left with only three key statements

Mumbai, OCTOBER 26 : Weeks after claiming to have got to the bottom of the 7/11 train blast case, the anti-terrorist squad (ATS) seems to be losing its grip on the case. Two more accused have laid the grounds for retracting their confessional statements, leaving the Mumbai police with only three of the 11 confessions it had.

Thursday marked another setback for the ATS in the MCOCA court after six accused appeared before it (five were remanded to police custody, while one was remanded to judicial custody). Two of them—Sajid Ansari and Abdul Wahiduddin— said they were made to sign statements “involuntarily”.

“If a person is made to sign on a document and not allowed to read it, it can be said the statement is made involuntarily. If this is proved in court, the confession statement would not hold,” explained defence lawyer Amin Solkar.

Ansari, who was allegedly among those who assembled the bombs which were used on 7/11, told special MCOCA judge M S Bhatkar, “Kal mera confessional statement liya gaya tha. Saab ne mujhe padhne nahi diya. Sign le liya (Yesterday, they recorded my confession statement. The DCP (Sanjay Mohite) did not allow me to read my statement before signing it).’’

Wahiduddin, who has been accused of harbouring Pakistani militants in the city and also arranging their escape, told the court that his signature was obtained twice on documents, the contents of which isn’t known to him. “Do baar mera sign liya gaya. Kya likha tha malum nahi (My signature was taken twice. I don’t know what was written in those documents).’’

Soon after these statements were made, special public prosecutor Raja Thackeray told the court the confessions of the six produced in court had not been taken. “I have received instructions (from the officer). Confession has not been taken,” he said.

But this contradicted what ATS joint commissioner K P Raghuvanshi said later at a press conference. He said the confessions of the four accused, Mohammed Ali, Sajid Ansari, Naveed Hussain and Mohammed Majeed Shafi had been recorded.

Refuting defence allegations, Raghuvanshi also insisted that MCOCA procedures were followed while recording confession statements. “This investigation has been carried out as per the guidelines prescribed under MCOCA. I can assure you that proper procedure was followed,” he said. He also denied allegations of torture of the accused. “None of the men we’ve kept in our custody has complained to the court of police torture,” he said.

http://www.indianexpress.com/story/15476.html

Violence in Karnataka: Police Watch as Minority is Targeted

Sunday, 15 October 2006

Coastal Karnataka -- especially Mangalore Hubli and Hasan -- are very tense flames as Bajrang Dal activists on the rampage against youth from the minority community with a reluctant police allegedly not stemming those committing arson and loot. It is critical that the Centre puts pressure on the government of Karnataka to take adequate steps to protect lives and properties of all citizens irrespective of community, caste, class or gender. Developments in the past few months after the present government took over has increased apprehensions that mob leaders and law breakers enjoy state support and patronage and therefore the lives of innocent persons from the minority communities are under severe threat. Already, illegal rounding up of dozens of Muslim youth from these areas and loot and arson of minority properties—homes and businesses on Friday and Saturday – have created a climate of fear.

Fortunately, unlike Gujarat, robust local protests from different groups, communal harmony forums and minority groups have been heard from different parts of Karnataka putting a spotlight on the issue. The Karnataka Forum for Dignity and the Karnataka Komu Souhara Vedike
(Karnataka Communal Harmony Forum) have been protesting these attacks since Friday.

Today the Dignity Forum held a press conference in Bangalore and tomorrow another press conference is scheduled at the Bangalore Press Club at 1.30 p.m.

Teesta Setalvad
Co-Editor, Communalism Combat

Annexed hereto is the Memorandum submitted to the Karnataka Governor by the Karnataka Forum for Dignity


KARNATAKA FORUM FOR DIGNITY

Date: 6th Oct, 2006

To,
The Hon'ble Home Minister
Govt. of Karnataka
Bangalore

Dear Sir,

Sub: Attrocities against Minorities. When we read it in Communalism Combat about Two years ago that Gujarat is going to be repeated in Karnataka, no body could believe it. Now, on one can deny it as things are unwinding in the similar fashion. Sangh Parivar had declared in Gujarat that it is a laboratory and similar model will be repeated in other states as it is proved to be successful to acquire power.

We have been bringing to the notice of the Government from time to time the modus operandi and scaling upwards the targeted attack on the Minorities in a well planned and monitored manner. Rather Implementation of the successful model of Gujarat. When we found that the Government is mum on these issues, to open the eyes of the Government we conducted a massive Rally in Bangalore on 19th May 2006, wherein nearly 20,000 people participated. On that day Hon'ble Chief Minister invited us for a discussion and assured us immediate action against the culprits.

The fact is that no action has been taken, instead Police Offices of their choice have been placed in Sensitive areas. Whenever they find no issues to create trouble, their favourite topic is cow slaughter. Here again the fact is that no cow slaughter is taking place within the criminal ambit of the law.

On 4th October, 06 evening the Bajrangis, self appointed police, in two separate jeeps chased one mini lorry till Bunder, Mangalore presuming it carrying unlawful cattle for slaughter. The driver of the Lorry escaped somehow fearing for his life. Being desperate of not getting their pray they attacked three innocent boys who were retuning from night prayers.

As the boys shouted for help to save their life and resisted their attack, these people ran away and enforced a bundh next day. Though the response for the Government sponsored bundh on 4th, which evoked very good response through out the state had no response in Mangalore, However the bundh called by these criminal elements on 5th was total, which shows how people are scared of these Criminal elements.

The bundh followed by leashing of terror against Minorities in pure and climax Gujarat model. The Police were busy terrorizing and arresting Minorities all over Mangalore and Buntwal taluk from their residences and even from the Masjids. On the other hand the Bajrangis were let loose and their looting and arson continued till their satiating point, only then the Police turned against them to eye wash the public.

If you have any apprehensions about what we have stated above, you may conduct independent enquiries and you will find the stunning fact all the business establishments destroyed were of Minorities and secondly the perpetrators of these kinds of Crimes are charged with non-cognizable offences and the minorities are charged with Cognizable offences, wherein they should languish in jails for no fault of theirs. If you call for the reports of such incidents in the past you will find the same stunning facts.

Therefore, we hereby request you to send sufficient forces to protect the life and property of Minorities and to take immediate action against these criminal forces and the Police Officers who are abetting these criminals.

Thanking you.

Yours Sincerely

Moh. Sharif

For Karnataka Forum for Dignity

Barbaric act and Damage by Police in Ullal

S.O. News service, Mangalore, 12 Oct

The onset of non-violence on Thursday morning in Mangalore and across created a big uproar. Many shops and houses destroyed, robbery in Muslim houses in full swing. Muslims were attacked brutally. Unfortunately the lawmakers seemed to take pleasure in supporting these anti social elements.

The Kannada daily news paper Vartha Bharti which is published from Mangalore illustrated in the front page as to how the police of Ullal disturbed the Muslim women and children and the robbery is taking place. On the print edition of 9th October Mokachari area under the Ullal police station on Friday and Chipla area under Konaji police station on Sunday showed how the police treated the peoples of the native place. According to the news paper in Mokachari area the police forcefully entered 6-7 houses and destroyed everything from door to TV, chairs, cupboards, etc,. People suffered great loss there. The local people told that the police treated them like Bajrang Dal people and forcefully gained entry into their houses and beat the sleeping youths and later took them to jails. They also punished the small children to instill fear in them

There was a report in the newspaper of a Muslim named Mohiddin Abba from Mokachari area, he told reporters that on Friday evening at 6.25pm, “he was sitting in his house the door was closed. 15 policemen entered his house and started kicking the door thereby breaking it. They started to destroy all the things like cupboard, showcase, TV and all other furniture. The reporter saw that the TV and show case was totally broken, door and window glasses were also broken in the house. He added that the police asked where the youths are. When they didn’t find anyone in the house they left. While going outside a rickshaw was standing outside the policemen even destroyed the rickshaw fully. The members of the house told that the destroyed things are still there in the house anybody can come and see it.

The same treatment was also done to Abdur Razzaq’s house, neighbor of Mohiddin Abba. The wife of Abdul Razzaq, patient, told the newspapers that how the police entered the house and started destroying whatever they could lay their hands on and then took her sons Mustafa and Shamshuddin to the Jail. The women told that now there is no one in his family to go to court and obtain bail for them.

The owner of the house Baitul Aziz which is near to the Abdul Razzaq’s house told that the police threw stones on his window and kicked the gates but they were unsuccessful to enter the house, Reporters saw that the window was totally damaged and the gate too. Baptist D’souza who leaves in this told that after seeing the police he closed the door of the house but the police entered in his house and broke the windows, here too the window pain is totally damaged.

Nearly 20 policemen entered in the house of U T Basheer and destroyed the TV set and the furniture. They jailed two boys who were sleeping and punished rest of the children present at home. Entry was gained forcefully by breaking the door.

Khadija Amma of Fattu Bhau cottage, her house also police entered in the compound and broke the glasses of two cars which were parked in the compound with their stick and then entered the house and broke the TV and the radio.

Taheera Ismail, neighbor of Khadija Amma, her house was also targeted by the police and then police has arrested his son Muhammed Ashfaque at mid night who is the student of Computer Science.

The people of Mokkacheri are under threat and full of fear. Police have instilled fear which can be read in the public’s face. Local people said that nothing would have happened in these areas if not for the polices’ barbaric act. Some persons told that all these activities were done by Ullal Police especially by police inspector Jagga (Jagdish) and his members.

Relatives of 7/11 accused allege torture, probe ordered

Mumbai, October 10:

Maharashtra’s Director General of Police P S Pasricha is looking into the allegations of torture and brutality by the Mumbai police in the 7/11 investigations after relatives of the accused and suspects filed sworn affidavits with the Prime Minister’s Office and Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh’s office.

The DGP was asked by Deshmukh to look into the allegations of torture. The CM forwarded the copies of 10 affidavits to DGP Pasricha in the last week of September. Pasricha said, “I recently received the affidavits. It needs a thorough probe. I can’t say anything about it unless I have looked into the matter in detail.”

After the families filed the affidavits in September, a delegation of eight Muslim MPs had met the Chief Minister. The police were then instructed not to harass the Muslim community in general and the city police chief, A N Roy, circulated a letter to the Muslim leaders in Urdu, asking them to contact him in case of any complaints or grievances.

The relatives, including those of the alleged kingpins Faisal and Muzammil Sheikh, alleged that police used “fourth-degree” methods, holding women and old relatives hostage to extract confessions from the accused or ensure the arrests of suspects.

“Such methods were used during the investigation of 1993 blasts as well.

These people have been brave to come forward and file affidavits. These affidavits will obviously hold,” said human rights activist advocate Maharukh Adenwalla.

Faisal Sheikh, who allegedly planted the bomb in the Jogeshwari train, and his brother Muzammil were arrested on July 27. However, the family’s nightmare began on July 20 when the police raided their Mira Road residence at 9:30 pm.

As per the affidavit filed by their 61-year-old father, Ata-ur Rehman Sheikh, some officers claiming to be from ATS, picked him up and detained him at the Kurla ATS office (police station) for several days.

“In the police station, the officers tied me on the floor and mercilessly beat me up with belts and sticks in front of my sons so as to extract their confessions. They brought my wife, my daughter Aliya and my daughter-in-law Rifah with my grandchildren to the police station and would parade them before the two. The officers would beat them badly in front of our eyes, foul-mouthing us,’’ said Sheikh. The womenfolk too were detained at the police station throughout the day until Faisal and Muzammil signed on their confessions, he says.

Rifah (27) has been living with her in-laws since her marriage with Rahil Shaikh in 2000. According to the family, Rahil has been working in London as a software engineer for the past seven months. The ATS claims that Rahil was in touch with Rizwan Daware who allegedly organised the funds for the blasts.

According to the affidavit filed by Rifah, the police threatened her that unless she made a call to her husband, her husband’s sister and mother would be arrested.

“On August 11, I was taken before my sons who were made to stand handcuffed before me. One officer threatened me that the womenfolk were outside and they will be stripped naked if I do not remove my clothes before my sons and police officers. The officer brought some other arrested accused also and I was paraded naked before them,” Sheikh said in his affidavit.

On the same day, Rifah was brought in by the ATS. “I was asked to drop the burkha before Faisal and Muzammil. I could see Muzammil behind bars, banging his fists on the wall and saying, nahi nahi,’’ she said.

Another family who allegedly went through the trauma is the Qureshi family. The eldest son Abdus Subhan Qureshi (34) was a member of the banned organisation SIMI before 2000 and the police had been looking for him in the wake of 7/11 blasts.

The seven affidavits filed by each family member, including the patriarch of the family Usman Qureshi (65) his wife Zubeida (57), their sons, Salman, Imran, Nooman and two married daughters, talk about the story of their harassment.

The ordeal began on July 26, when two officers from Kurla police station,

Jitendra Agarkar and Praveen Tejale, “barged into” their house and “grabbed” Salman and his father Usman to Kurla police station. Salman was detained for three days, his father left on the next day. They were, they say, beaten up with belts on hands and feet and abused verbally.

The affidavit of one of the daughters who did not wish to disclose her identity describes how her husband, who suffered from chronic heart ailment and diabetes, was stripped before her and beaten up. “My husband was beaten up by one police constable Khatal at the instance of Agarkar. He was slapped, punched and kicked on the face and stomach and on his back. Khatal forcibly stripped him. He was paraded naked paraded before me. I cried and pleaded with them not to do.’’ This incident allegedly took place on August 17.

When contacted, assistant police inspector Jitender Agarkar denied the allegations. He said: “Investigation for 7/11 blasts were not carried out at the Kurla police station. There is no question of calling in relatives of the suspects.”

The ATS had arrested Ziauddin Ansari on August 5, and had detained him for 20 days before he was released. His brother’s family in Mumbai had to suffer on account of the ATS’s suspicion. The affidavit filed by his brother Faroguddin Ansari’s wife, Naushada, states that Faroguddin was forcibly taken to Bihar on August 2 by the ATS and was brought back and released only after Ziauddin was found. When she met Ziauddin in prison, she states, “he seemed worn out, tortured, tired and in disheveled condition. I suspect he was administered third-degree torture.”

All the affidavits say that they were threatened not to contact any lawyers.

Meanwhile, the seven accused retracted their so-called confession statements in the specially designated MCOCA court on Monday.

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