Disaster response: social media is certainly an important tool to share info on real time basis .... it can generate awareness too

NDMA to be on Facebook, Twitter

Vishwa Mohan,TNN
Sep 28, 2011, 02.53AM IST

NEW DELHI: Getting quick information on disaster and live pictorial views of affected areas in the country will not be difficult. The National Disaster Management Authority will go on various social networking and micro-blogging sites -- Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Youtube - on Wednesday to convey relevant news and generate public awareness.

Although NDMA has been experimenting with social media tools for quite some time, the country's apex disaster management body will formally launch itself on these sites on the occasion of its seventh formation day on Wednesday.

"The idea of using these tools is to inform people about a disaster, its impact and certain dos and don'ts in such a situation on real-time basis. Information on relief and rescue operations will also be put on these sites for general use," said a senior home ministry official.

He said it was conceived long ago, but dearth of trained manpower - who could use these tools effectively round-the-clock -- had delayed the "formal launch" of these web handles. "These social networking and micro-blogging sites will also be used to answer relevant questions of people during a disaster," said the official.

Vice-chairman of the NDMA M Shashidhar Reddy will launch it at a function which is to be attended by minister of state for home Mullappally Ramachandran and home secretary R K Singh among others.

NDMA, which is headed by the Prime Minister, was set up in September 2005. Besides making policies on disaster-related matters and coming out with guidelines on various disasters, this central body also coordinates with states over creating adequate infrastructure to deal with any kind of disaster.

The Authority also has an important wing -- National Disaster Response Force - comprising trained personnel for doing all kinds of relief and rescue works. The NDRF - a brainchild of present Union home secretary R K Singh when he was the joint secretary (disaster management) during his earlier stint in the ministry - has eight well-trained battalions with two more being raised keeping in mind its success during the 2007 floods in the Kosi river in Bihar and also in other relief operations in the past.

An official said: "The current strength of NDRF is not adequate. There is an urgent need to increase its strength by raising more battalions. Though some of the states like Bihar, Orissa and Gujarat have taken steps to raise similar battalions at the state-level, most other states have not heeded the suggestion of the Authority."

The NDRF battalions are at present located at Guwahati, Kolkata, Mundali, Arakkonam, Pune, Gandhinagar, Bhatinda and Greater Noida. Each Battalion has 1,158 personnel, canine squad and special sophisticated equipment for collapsed structure search and rescue, water rescue, ambulances, specialized vehicles and water tankers. The two new battalions, which are being raised, will be located at Patna and Vijayawada............http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDExLzA5LzI4I0FyMDIyMDU=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

Maharashtra cops want Abhinav Bharat and Sanatan Sanstha in terror list ... Will the same logic apply to the RSS?

Vishwa Mohan,TNN
Sep 19, 2011, 02.45AM IST

NEW DELHI: Maharashtra Police has recommended to the state government that two Hindu radical groups - Sanatan Sanstha and Abhinav Bharat - be included in the category of banned terrorist outfits under anti-terror law, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The name of Sanatan Sanstha had come up in the Goa blast case of 2009 while Abhinav Bharat figured in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.

Some members of Abhinav Bharat including Lt Col Srikant Purihit, Ajay Rahirkar, Ramesh Upadhyay and Sammer Kulkarni were charged by the Mumbai ATS and CBI in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. Similarly, the National Investigation Agency had charged 11 members of Sanatan Sanstha in the Goa blast case.

As many as 35 terror outfits, including Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohamed, al-Qaida, Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and Indian Mujahideen, are in the category of banned terror outfits under UAPA, 1967.

Maharashtra Police's move was disclosed by the Union home ministry in response to a Parliament question during the monsoon session early this month.

Minister of state for home affairs Jitendra Singh had said, "The matters are still under investigation. However, with reference to 'Sanatan Sanstha' and 'Abhinav Bharat', as per available information, Maharashtra Police has recommended to the government of Maharashtra to include these organizations in the schedule of terrorist organizations under Section 35 of the UAPA, 1967."

The question was asked specifically on action being taken by the government against organizations whose names figured in bomb blast cases, and whether such outfits would be banned.

The minister, at the same time, said that the name no specific organization was yet confirmed in investigations into the Samjhauta, Mecca Masjid (Hyderabad) and Ajmer Sharif bomb blast cases. He said, "However, among the accused persons in these cases like Swami Aseemanand, Devendra Gupta and Lokesh Sharma, who have been arrested and chargesheeted, were reportedly earlier involved in the activities of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)."

The NIA has already filed chargesheets in these three cases. In case of the 2006 Malegaon blast, the Mumbai ATS and CBI had charged SIMI activists for the terror act. However, the case was later handed over to NIA after Aseemanand had in his confessional statement said that the incident was, in fact, carried out by the same group which did blast in Malegaon in 2008.

Besides IM, LeT, JeM, SIMI and al-Qaida, the existing list of banned terror outfits includes LTTE, Babbar Khalsa International, Khalistan Commando Force, ULFA, Deendar Anjuman, CPI (Maoist), People's Liberation Army (PLA) and others.....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JUFUvMjAxMS8wOS8xOSNBcjAwNjAw&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

Disaster Response: ... need to strengthen NDRF by raising more Battalions .. Is govt. serious to make the institution a force to reckon with?

Key personnel-crunch hobbles NDMA's Himalayan quake ops

Vishwa Mohan,TNN
Sep 21, 2011, 01.36AM IST

NEW DELHI: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), India's apex disaster management body, is not only working without a full-time secretary, but also sans four key members, including one who is supposed to look after its earthquake division.

Four out of nine members of the NDMA had retired long ago. The body, headed by the Prime Minister, has, however, been running without their replacements. Consequently, one of the key functions of the NDMA, which is to coordinate with states on disaster issues, has suffered.

"There is no one in the Authority who can coordinate affairs relating to earthquake after N V C Menon retired," said an official, referring to the sudden need of an expert, who can coordinate with specialists after the Himalayan quake that rocked Sikkim, West Bengal and Bihar last Sunday.

Besides Menon, three other members - Lt Gen (retired) J R Bhardwaj, Mohan Kanda and K M Singh - too had retired long ago. The NDMA has only five out of nine members, with one among them - Shashidhar Reddy - being its vice-chairman.

The TOI on Tuesday reported that this Central disaster management body, which was set up in September, 2005, as the main disaster-related policy-making and coordinating authority, did not even have a full-time secretary after the 1977-batch IAS officer Noor Mohammad retired about two months ago.

Do these vacancies really matter? Officials working in the Authority feel that the NDMA is a victim of apathy, despite doing a lot of work in the past. "It seems government's priority lies somewhere else like tackling corruption, inflation and terrorism," said an official.

A section within the body, however, believes that these vacancies have nothing to do with the relief-and- rescue efforts in quake-hit Sikkim. They say the entire disaster management policy under the NDMA Act, 2005, was devised in such a way that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) - a vital wing of the Authority - could rush to affected areas without wasting any time.

The NDRF - a brainchild of the present Union home secretary R K Singh when he was the joint secretary (disaster management) during his earlier stint in the ministry - has eight well-trained battalions, with two more being raised following its success during the 2007 Kosi floods in Bihar and also in other relief operations in the past.

An official said: "The current strength of the NDRF is inadequate. There is an urgent need to increase its strength by raising more battalions. Though some of the states like Bihar, Orissa and Gujarat have taken steps to raise similar battalions at state-level, the others did not heed to the suggestion of the Authority."

Referring to states' lacklustre approach, the official pointed out that had Sikkim raised such a force, it would not have made the state to wait for such a long to reach NDRF and Army personnel there in Gangtok and other interior areas due to obstructions on road between Bagdogra and the state Capital.

Now, the NDRF Battalions are located in Guwahati, Kolkata, Mundali, Arakkonam, Pune, Gandhinagar, Bhatinda and Greater Noida. Each Battalion has 1,158 personnel, canine squad and special sophisticated equipment for collapsed structure, search and rescue, water rescue, ambulances, Hazmat vehicles and water tankers. Two new battalions, which are being raised, will be located in Patna and Vijayawada..........http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JS00vMjAxMS8wOS8yMSNBcjAyMjAw&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

Have the top cops actually listened to what the PM said? Will it turn out to be another police junket?

Cross-border terror camps reactivated: PM

Vishwa Mohan,TNN
Sep 17, 2011, 03.13AM IST

NEW DELHI: Amid home ministry's recent claim that around 2,500 "fully trained" Kashmiri militants are ready to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir from across the border, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said that the "cross-border camps for terrorists" were being "reactivated" and there were attempts to induct fresh batches of militants into the country.

Urging security and intelligence agencies to ensure that "such attempts" are foiled through smooth and coordinated functioning, Singh said there was no room for complacency on the security front and mentioned that the "recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai and Delhi are grim reminders of the challenges posed by terrorism to our security".

He was addressing top police brass and security officials of the country at a conference organized by the Intelligence Bureau.

Though the Prime Minister did not go into specifics about the "cross-border camps", his remarks reflect what the home ministry recently said about 'activities' across the border. The matter was also discussed in detail when security officials dwelt on the issue during their deliberations on 'terrorism' on the inaugural day of the conference on Thursday.

The home ministry, in response to a question in Rajya Sabha during the recent monsoon session, had said there were reports that around 2,500 fully trained Kashmiri militants were ready to infiltrate into J&K from across the border/LoC.

Officials in the home ministry said that the "cross-border camps" were being reactivated as terrorist organizations, based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), would try to increase infiltration attempts before the onset of winter.

Asking top police brass to remain one step ahead of adversaries, the Prime Minister said: "As the 26/11 (2008 Mumbai terror attack) tragedy showed, terrorists use the latest technologies for communication and real time information sharing. We have to remain one step ahead.....I hope that the NATGRID would enable seamless retrieval and dissemination of data critical to the task of anticipating and pre-empting terrorist attacks".

Dwelling on the situation in J&K, the Prime Minister said: "The summer has been peaceful and a record number of tourists, yatris and pilgrims have visited the state....The real challenge now will be to meet the high expectations of the people as peace is restored."

He said: "We have initiated a process of broad-based consultation to find a way forward in J&K. We need to give the processes of dialogue and democracy a chance to secure a just and honourable settlement that meets the aspirations of all sections of the people."

Noting that these are difficult and challenging times for the police, Singh said: "Our social fabric continues to be targeted by organised terrorism, abetted by misguided zeal and false propaganda among youth and marginalised sections of society. We have to contend with Left-wing militancy, parochial and chauvinistic movements, and tensions caused by socio-economic imbalances and iniquities and rapid urbanization.".......http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTEvMDkvMTcjQXIwMTEwMQ==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

Police role ... Is it perceived or real? ... police themselves are blamed for this perception

Perceived bias against minorities should be removed: PM

Vishwa Mohan,TNN
Sep 17, 2011, 03.08AM IST 

NEW DELHI: Underlining the need to upgrade the professional skills of police personnel and inculcating in them the "right attitude" towards the public, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday asked the security agencies to take steps in removing a "perceived bias" of law enforcement agencies against the minorities.

"The existence of such a perception is inimical to effective policing, which must necessarily draw upon the confidence and cooperation of all sections of the population it serves", said Singh, asking police chiefs to consider ways to deal with the causes of such perceptions.

He was addressing directors-general and inspectors-general of police at a conference organized here by the Intelligence Bureau.

Noting that the constabulary remains the mainstay of police forces constituting 87% of their total strength, the Prime Minister said: "Improving the image of the constabulary is therefore critical to building public trust in the police."

He said job of a constable was arduous and hazardous. Besides the constabulary was overstretched and performed multifarious duties without getting basic facilities.

"Many of them find it difficult to get suitable accommodation and are even forced to live in slum areas. All our police stations do not provide basic facilities for women constables. It is not realistic to expect high levels of efficiency unless proper attention is paid to the living and working conditions of our men and women," Singh said.

Stressing that police personnel must also be "adequately trained to upgrade their professional skills", he said: "Promotions could be linked with training, as is done in the Army."

Highlighting their role in the present security scenario, the Prime Minister said human intelligence capabilities need to be improved. He said: "The grassroots information and intelligence collection systems that have traditionally been a part of policing have languished or fallen into disuse in some places. The role of a vigilant and effective beat constable can be vital in checking the activities of networks, which otherwise operate under radar. Some reorientation in the functioning at these cutting edge levels is necessary and the role of community policing should be emphasized."

The Prime Minister also said the government was trying to address shortage of manpower in state police forces on a war footing.

"At the meeting of the National Integration Council last week, the need for a well-trained and equipped force to deal with riots was underscored. The Rapid Action Force has been discharging such a function with distinction," he said.

He added that he would, however, like the conference to consider ways and means of scaling up the availability of such trained personnel and formations in the state police forces.

On naxalism, the Prime Minister said: "There have been some successes on the ground. But if we seek a decisive change in the situation, then a huge collective and coordinated effort is required both by the Centre and the states acting in concert."

Naxalism : A big question mark over Mamata's recent move

No decline in violence in Red corridor: Chidambaram

Vishwa Mohan,TNN
Sep 16, 2011, 03.15AM IST

NEW DELHI: The CPI (Maoist), an umbrella organization of all naxal outfits in India, has added at least four companies to the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army and turned the Jangal Mahal area in West Bengal as its "guerrilla base" to intensify operations against security forces and other state machineries.

Union home minister P Chidambaram disclosed this during the conference of police chiefs here on Thursday.

The home minister's remark assumes significance in light of the recent move of the Mamata Banerjee-led government in Bengal to go slow against Maoists in the Jangal Mahal area, despite warnings from intelligence and security agencies that the step would only help the ultras to regroup and re-arm themselves.

Addressing the top cops of the country, Chidambaram said:" The Left Wing Extremism (naxalism) is the most violent movement in the country. The CPI (Maoist) is the most violent organization in the country. I have always maintained that dealing with Left Wing Extremism is a shared responsibility of the Centre and the states".

He said although the number of incidents and the number of casualties seem to indicate a decrease in the level of violence, this is largely attributable to the changed situation in West Bengal.

He, however, said: "I regret to point out that there is no significant decline in violence in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Orissa. Even in West Bengal, there are reports that the state unit has been instructed by the CPI (Maoist) to develop guerrilla bases in Jangal Mahal and to intensify the conflict. The CPI (Maoist) has added at least four companies to the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army and its goal remains seizure of power through an armed liberation struggle".

Emphasizing that "the Central government has shouldered its share of responsibility in dealing with the Left Wing Extremism", the home minister said:" We have deployed 71 battalions of CAPFs as against 37 in 2009. The budget allocation under SRE Scheme has been increased to Rs 337 crore in 2011-12 as against only Rs 80 crore in 2008-09. Likewise, the budget allocation under SIS scheme has been increased to Rs 140 crore in 2011-12 as against only Rs 30 crore in 2009-10. We have offered to fund 400 fortified police stations at a cost of Rs 2 crore per police station. We have sanctioned the raising of 13 Special IR Battalions that will have security and engineering components to support and implement development works."

Chidambaram informed that more helicopters are being inducted, and other technological support is also being provided. The Integrated Action Plan has placed Rs 3,300 crore with 60 districts, and 67,175 works are under implementation. "Eighteen more districts will be added in 2012-13 and I am told that the ministry of rural development will implement the scheme next year with the changes suggested by the Conference of District Collectors held two days ago. In addition, more funds will be provided under the flagship schemes," he added.

Urging the DGPs to take ownership of counter-insurgency measures and devise short and medium-term strategies against LWE, Chidambaram said, "The cooperation between the Centre and the states has yielded good results, but there is still a long distance to travel and more years of hard work."......http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTEvMDkvMTYjQXIwMTAwMg==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

Terror : Delhi High Court Blast - first two arrests ... Cops are hopeful to get some leads but not confident

2 J&K men held for Delhi high court blast

Vishwa Mohan & Sanjay Khajuria,TNN
Sep 15, 2011, 04.12AM IST 

NEW DELHI/JAMMU: In the first positive development for investigators probing the Delhi High Court blast, the NIA arrested two persons from J&K for sending an email claiming that terror outfit HuJI was behind the attack.

After sustained interrogation, the two admitted to sending the email and have identified the person who asked them to do so. The claims of the two suspects and the version of the person they have named are being tallied and matched with other details.

When asked if this was a potential breakthrough, a home ministry source said, "We are keeping our fingers crossed. We have to ensure that no innocent person is framed."

Shariq Ahmed and Abid Hussain were arrested on the basis of a forensic report received by the NIA of the computer hard disc that was used by one of them to send the email from , stating that the blast was carried out by HuJI.

"One of the two arrested in Kishtwar has sent the email. It is now confirmed. Their role in the blast is, however, not known. They are being interrogated to find out the real motive behind sending the email," said an official.

"Some people have been arrested and they are being interrogated. We have clues. There is progress also. But we do not want to disclose whatever progress we have made as it will hamper the investigation," Union home secretary R K Singh had said earlier in the evening.

This is the first arrest made by the police in connection with the first terror mail, sent from a Kishtwar cyber cafe nearly three hours after the blast. They were arrested the day the Kolkata Special Task Force held a 14-year-old school student, who played a prank and mischievously sent two emails out of the four - second and fourth - from , claiming that the blast was carried out by Indian Mujahideen. The boy had sent the mails from his BlackBerry using a SIM card of the Kolkata circle.

Earlier, the Gujarat Police had solved the mystery of the third email on Monday after they arrested one Monu Oza who too had played a prank. Oza had sent the mail from a Yahoo account. All these emails were sent between September 7 and 9.

The duo arrested in J&K were produced before principal district and sessions judge N L Manhas in Kishtwar, who remanded them to seven days of police custody. They have been booked under IPC Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc, and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 134-A (attack on government servant on duty).

They face charges of hacking of computer system under Section 66 of the Information Technology Act. The cyber cafe - from where the email was allegedly sent - has been sealed. Sources, however, said neither of the two had any past criminal or militancy-related record.

About the second and fourth emails, additional commissioner of police (STF) Rajiv Kumar told reporters in Kolkata that the teenager from Jharkhand sent two emails to media houses claiming responsibility for the blasts posing as a member of Indian Mujahideen.

"After interrogating him, we are sure that the e-mails were sent mischievously and he has no connection with terror groups and is not responsible for the Delhi High Court blasts," a news agency quoted Kumar as saying.

Terror continues to haunt the UPA

Mumbai, Delhi terror attacks 'blots' on government's record: Chidambaram

Vishwa Mohan,TNN
Sep 15, 2011, 12.00PM IST 

NEW DELHI: Calling two recent terror attacks - blasts in Mumbai and Delhi -- "blots" on his government's record, Union home minister P Chidambaram on Thursday said the challenge of terrorism was a formidable challenge that required a comprehensive strategy of counter terrorism.

He also said that Pakistan and Afghanistan were epicentres of terror and most of the terror group based in the neighbouring country continued to target India.

Addressing top cops of the country at a conference, Chidamaram said: "The two terrorist attacks in the space of two months are indeed blots on our record. Naturally, the Central government and the security forces have been severely criticised. While we accept the responsibility for the incidents and the legitimate criticism, it is our duty to set out the context in which such terrorist attacks take place."

Stating that no country in the world appears to be entirely immune to the threat of terror, he said: "In 2011, up to August, there have been 279 major terrorist incidents in 22 countries. The worst affected are Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The epicentre of terror is Afghanistan-Pakistan. Four out of five major terrorist groups are based in Pakistan and three of them - LeT, JeM and HM - continue to target India".

He also admitted that there was no let up in attempts to infiltrate from across the line of control in Jammu & Kashmir. Besides, there are attempts to infiltrate terrorists via Nepal and Bangladesh into India as well as find a safe transit route from Sri Lanka to Tamil Nadu, he added.

The home minister also spoke about Indian modules, saying they seem to have the capacity to attract radicalised youth to their fold. "Some modules are loosely knit under an organisation called Indian Mujahideen. Many old cadres of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India have morphed into IM cadres. There are other Indian modules that espouse the cause of right wing religious fundamentalism or separatism. Many of these modules have acquired the capacity to make bombs," he said.

Asking police chief to build capacity to deal with several threats, the home minister said: "We do not have just one pre-eminent threat; we have several. We must build the capacity to deal with these multiple threats. Capacity building is work in progress. It requires time, money, human resources, technology and harnessing the capacity of every agency and organisation in the country".

Citing United States example, Chidambaram mentioned that following the September 11, 2001 attacks, the United States identified the al-Qaida as its pre-eminent security threat and declared war on al-Qaida and its affiliates and adherents. Over a period of 10 years, the US created the Department of Homeland Security; brought together 22 agencies and bodies under that department; fought two wars; and sent its agents and troops into other countries. 6,000 soldiers died; 137,000 civilians lost their lives and 7.8 millions became refugees. The cost was USD 4 trillion. And in a document put out in June 2011 the US admitted that the job is not yet done. During the last 10 years, there were three terrorist attacks on US soil (with 16 dead and 34 injured) and three nearly successful terrorist attempts that providentially failed.

The home minister in his speech gave details of what India has done in the last over two years in terms of capacity building but said: "Yet, we have not done enough. There are still over 5,00,000 vacancies in State police forces. After the cadre review, the authorised strength of the IPS was increased to 4,720. On January 1, 2011, there were 3,393 officers in position and it will take seven years to reach the optimum level. Not all states have enacted the new Police Act nor set up the State Police Establishment Board. Not all states have adopted the transparent recruitment process".

Admitting that money is a big constraint, he said: "While the expenditure on internal security by the ministry of home affairs has increased from Rs 25,302 crore in 2008-09 to a budgeted amount of Rs.40,834 crore in 2011-12, all the States and UTs put together have provided to their police forces only Rs.61,024 crore in 2011-12. Thus, we will spend Rs.101,858 crore this year on policing the whole country. This figure must be compared with Rs.164,415 crore that has been budgeted for the Defence services. It is obvious that the Centre and States must provide more money to their police forces".

Terror : Delhi High Court blast - prone under shadow of past sins

Three emails tie up NIA in knots

Vishwa Mohan,TNN
Sep 14, 2011, 05.30AM IST

NEW DELHI: Mystery behind three of the four emails that were sent after the Delhi HC blast is haunting the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

NIA has quizzed one Sunny Sharma, who had used a cyber cafe in J&K's Kishtwar, to send the first email. Another person was picked up from the outskirts of Kolkata since his cellphone was traced as the sender device of second and fourth e-mails, but breakthrough remains elusive. Officials are banking on forensic examination of the devices.

"We have detained a person in West Bengal. He is being questioned but he does not seem to be the actual sender of the email as it appears that somebody might have used the 'clone' of his sim card to send the emails," said an official. The second and fourth e-mails were sent from the mobile device, claiming that the Delhi HC blast was carried out by the Indian Mujahideen. Investigators believe that somebody might have used 'cloned' sim card to send emails that can by default show IP address of the device that uses the 'original' sim card.

The first email was sent from the Kishtwar cyber cafe using ID , claiming that the blast was carried out by another terror outfit HuJI. This e-mail was sent about three hours after the blast. The Google, which has server in the US, has been contacted to share information (technical details) on the gmaisssl, used for sending three e-mails. Besides, two telecom service providers - BSNL and Airtel (Bharati Telecom) - have been contacted for information.

The official said though the arrest of one Manu Oza (24) from Gujarat solved the mystery behind the third e-mail that was clearly a 'prank', the probe behind the remaining three e-mails was still going on.

"We are banking on result of forensic examination of the hard disk used at Kishtwar cyber cafe. We questioned Sunny Sharma but he, at this juncture, does not appear to be the one who sent the e-mail. We have questioned other persons as well who used the cyber cafe on the day of the blast. We won't rule out anything till we get final forensic report," the official said. NIA has raised the reward sum to Rs 10 lakh for anyone providing information on the blast...............http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTEvMDkvMTQjQXIwMTMwMw==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

Terror : Delhi High Court blast - probe continues without any lead

Delhi blast: Investigators pore over bomb report for clues

Vishwa Mohan,TNN
Sep 9, 2011, 02.54AM IST 

NEW DELHI: With no breakthrough in the Delhi High Court blast case, the NIA is looking closely at the preliminary forensic report on the bomb - stating presence of nitrate-based explosives with traces of PETN even as another email, sent to media houses on Thursday, made the task much more complex.

Unlike Wednesday's email sent by Harkat-ul-Jihadi putting onus of the blast on HuJI, the second email - purportedly written by one "Chotoo" - stated that the blast was actually carried out by Indian Mujahideen.

The sender also warned of another blast outside a shopping mall on Tuesday - forcing security agencies to step up vigilance at all such places not only in Delhi but also in other cities.

"Even if the text of email and the manner it was sent do not match the typical Indian Mujahideen style, investigators are not taking it lightly. It may be a prank or red herring. But, we are trying to verify its authenticity as part of our probe to look into different angles," said an official.

Besides writing the text in Hindi using Roman script, the mail, sent by Chotoo, spelt Mujahideen as Muzahiddin. All the earlier emails sent by IM had carried text in 'good' English. "All these things are being examined, besides looking at forensic evidence which talks about PETN," said an official.

Though the terror groups do not have history of using PETN (Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate) frequently in India, the traces of it points to some "cross-border connection" in getting the plastic explosive for local modules of terror groups that could be anyone from Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Harkat-ul-Jihadi-al-Islami (HuJI) to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) or Khalistani outfits.

Attaching importance to this 'angle', the NIA on Thursday roped in forensic experts from Gandhinagar and Hyderabad to check the 'make' of the bomb having no 'timer' or 'wire' and contacted Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of neighbouring states - Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan - for sharing their expertise.

PETN was first seized in India in January 2006 when Special Cell of Delhi Police caught two HuJI militants who got the consignment from Bangladesh. It was later found that militant groups in J&K and Punjab had got their consignments carrying the plastic explosive through couriers operating on the Indo-Pakistan border.

An official said, "Even if the angle appears to be quite far-fetched at this juncture, we cannot rule it out unless we find something else. It is important to explore all angles. We may reach a certain point through the process of elimination."

Besides, the NIA also announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for clues to the blast. The move came immediately after the government handed over probe of the previous Delhi HC blast of May 25 to the agency. The case was earlier investigated by Delhi Police which could not make any headway in its probe.

The second mail sent from "chotoominani5@gmail.com" was received at 12:37 PM claiming that Harkat-ul-Jihadi-al-Islami had no role to play in the blasts and it was done by Indian Mujahideen. The mail also reasoned that they had chosen Wednesday as the day of the blast as it was a busy day for the HC. Delhi HC hears PILs on Wednesdays.

"We are examining the email received by the media houses about its authenticity and veracity and (we are) taking it seriously," secretary (internal security) U K Bansal said.

Terror : Delhi High Court blast - If you catch wrong persons, the perpetrators continue to do their jobs with impunity - a grim reminder of past misdeeds

Slap on Delhi cops' face, NIA asked to probe blast

Vishwa Mohan,TNN
Sep 8, 2011, 03.01AM IST

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Wednesday handed over the probe into the bomb blast outside the Delhi High Court to the National Investigation Agency which was set up in the aftermath of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, in what may be seen as a vote of no-confidence in the Delhi Police, at least so far as anti-terror investigations are concerned.

This will be the first major case of terror that NIA will be investigating from start. The fledgling agency has so far mainly probed those terror incidents that were either initially investigated or concluded by different state police. The NIA is also likely to take over the probe into the May 25 bomb blast outside the Delhi HC. This case, too, is currently being investigated by the Delhi Police.

The Delhi Police will, however, assist the central probe agency in its investigation under a 'written' direction from the government.

Besides the May 25 explosion, the Delhi Police has not been able to solve four other cases -- two that took place in Mehrauli in South Delhi (2008 and 2010), and two near Jama Masjid in Central Delhi (2006 and 2010).

Soon after the probe into Wednesday's blast was handed over to it, the NIA formed a 20-member special investigation team, led by deputy inspector-general Mukesh Singh. The agency chief, S C Sinha, said: "Delhi Police is assisting the agency in its probe. We have entrusted the job to our best officers."

Asked about the email received by media houses, purportedly written by terror outfit Harkat-ul-Jihadi claiming responsibility for the blast, Sinha said: "It is too premature to comment on the HuJI mail but we are looking at it seriously because HuJI is a very prominent terrorist group which considers India as target number one."

He said there were no clear leads as of now but "we are working on several theories on several aspects".

About the progress made in the probe, secretary (internal security) U K Bansal: "The examination of the scene of blast indicates the use of nitrate-based explosives with traces of PETN (Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate)."

PETN is one of the most deadly explosive used by terrorists across the globe. It can even be used under water. It was used in the shoe bomber case of 2001 in the US, the 2009 Christmas Day bomb plot in the Philippines, and the 2010 cargo plane bomb plot in London and Dubai.

Bansal said the Delhi Police has been put on high alert and vigorous investigations are in progress including checking of guest houses, hotels, bus stands, railway stations and airports. "All entry and exit routes are also being put under extensive surveillance and checking. Neighbouring states have also been asked to send their teams of ATS experts to examine the scene of the blast and assist in the investigation," he said.

Besides scanning phone call details including those originating from or routed to destinations across the border before and after the blasts, the NIA team is minutely examining the contents of the explosives/materials used in the bomb to look for clues.

The bomb appeared to be quite 'sophisticated' as compared to the one used in the May 25 blast. The IED weighing two kgs and containing shrapnel, was kept in a briefcase. The blast left a "crater" (two feet wide and one foot deep), pointing to its "high intensity".

The probe will be a kind of a 'test' case for the NIA which has so far only replicated the findings of the terror probe conducted by state police forces in major cases like Mecca Masjid (Hyderabad), Ajmer Sharief (Rajasthan) and Malegaon (Maharashtra) blasts.....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JSi8yMDExLzA5LzA4I0FyMDA2MDE=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

David Coleman Headley : Indian chargesheet will not at all affect the American jihadi

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NIA's wait on for 26/11 evidence

Vishwa Mohan, TNN
Aug 24, 2011, 12.57am IST

NEW DELHI: India is still waiting for the transfer of some evidence from the United States relating to the probe in the case involving Pakistani American Lashkar terrorist David Coleman Headley.

Although the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has already completed its probe in the case, the charge-sheet will be filed only after it gets the remaining evidence from the US under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) between the two countries.

Union home ministry, in response to a question in the Lok Sabha, on Tuesday said: "The transfer of some evidence from the USA is awaited. Similarly, transfer of evidence from Pakistan with regard to some other accused persons is also awaited. The final report in the case accordingly will be filed in the competent court."

In the written response, the ministry also informed the Lower House of Parliament that investigation into the case in India was complete.


It said that on the basis of the examination of Headley in Chicago (by the NIA) and on other revelations in the case during investigation, two MLAT requests to USA and one Letter Rogatory request to Pakistan were sent. "The MLAT to USA stands partially executed and evidence was transferred to the NIA," said the ministry.

Headley, who was arrested by the American probe agency FBI in October 2009, had conducted surveillance of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack targets for Pakistan-based outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). He had pleaded guilty before a Chicago court of plotting the Mumbai attacks. Subsequently, he had entered into a plea bargain with the US authorities.

The NIA sleuths interrogated him Chicago in June last year, but the interrogation report has no evidence value as it was not recorded before any court or legal authorities. Headley, under the plea bargaining, had agreed for questioning only if it would not be used against him. As part of the deal, he had also been assured that he would not be extradited to India for trial.

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Capital Punishment : Is it a beginning of getting rid of 'eye for eye' policy?

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If Rajiv's killers escape gallows, so may 21 others on death row

Vishwa Mohan, TNN

Sep 1, 2011, 02.18AM IST

NEW DELHI: If 'delay' in disposing a mercy petition is taken as the ground to commute the death penalty of those convicted of heinous crimes, it will have a bearing on the fate of 21 people on the death row, whose pleas have been pending for over five to 10 years.

Asking for the Centre's reply, the Madras high court on Tuesday observed that there had been a delay of over 11 years in the disposal of the petitions filed by the three convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. The HC also stayed for eight weeks the execution of the three convicts fixed for September 9.

Besides, the Tamil Nadu assembly had also passed a unanimous resolution urging President Pratibha Patil to reconsider the mercy plea of the three convicts. The move prompted the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah to speak about the Parliament House attack case convict Afzal Guru.

"If J&K assembly had passed a resolution similar to the Tamil Nadu one for Afzal Guru would the reaction have been as muted? I think not," Omar said on the micro-blogging site twitter.

The argument of 'delay', if accepted, can also be taken as a ground to pitch for the case of terrorists Devender Pal Singh Bhullar. The development has already witnessed ruling Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab writing to the Centre for commuting the death sentence of the Khalistan Commando Force terrorist.

While the President had rejected Bhullar's mercy plea in May, the final nod on Afzal Guru is awaited after the home ministry forwarded its opinion rejecting his plea. There is one more murder convict, Mahendra Nath Das, from Assam whose mercy plea was rejected by the President in May.

However, all the mercy pleas have not ended in 'rejection'. Since November 2009, President Pratibha Patil has commuted the death sentence of 22 convicts in different cases to life imprisonment. None of these convicts was guilty of any terror-related crime. The Madras High Court's observation now opens a debate, taking a cue from what the Supreme Court had held in similar cases.

The apex court had in 1989 held in the Triveniben vs State of Gujarat case that "undue delay" in execution of a death sentence entitled the condemned prisoner under Article 32 of Constitution to approach the court that his death sentence be commuted to life imprisonment. The apex court, however, did not quantify the period of "inordinate delay", leaving scope for interpretation especially when the clemency powers of the President, under Article 72 of the Constitution, do not prescribe any time frame for disposal of mercy petitions by the President.

Sources in the home ministry said that the Centre, which received notice from the Madras HC on the petition filed by the three convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi case, will tell the court about provisions of Article 72. A senior official said: "The Constitution does not provide any time limit for the President to decide any clemency petition. So, the argument of the delay does not hold any ground."
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Jammu & Kashmir : 'please all' idea seems very difficult

J&K interlocutors may not suggest tinkering with Article 370

Vishwa Mohan\TNN

New Delhi: The interlocutors on Jammu and Kashmir are not likely to recommend splitting the state to meet regional aspirations and will not suggest any changes to Article 370 that gives the state certain privileges.

While the interlocutors are expected to address the demand for autonomy voiced by all three regions of Jammu and Kashmir, redrawing the state’s border or tinkering with Article 370 is not on the cards as such “solutions” are only likely to inflame differences rather resolving them. Sources privy to consultations said that the group will not suggest changes in the constitutional provision and while its report may contain various suggestions and options keeping in mind the aspirations of people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, a division is not viable.

However, the ‘political solutions’ the interlocutors will come out with will not ignore the wishes of people from different regions. The team has already met nearly 600 delegations and heard suggestions ranging from abolition and dilution of Article 370, giving greater autonomy to trifurcation of the state. The group, comprising journalist Dileep Padgaonkar, academician Radha Kumar and former information commissioner M M Ansari, on Saturday also denied a media report about their recommending a return to the pre-1953 status as the way forward in resolving the Jammu and Kashmir problem. “The (media) report is purely speculative in nature. The group of interlocutors is presently engaged in preparing a draft of its final report which is expected to be submitted to the government of India before its term ends on October 12, 2011,” they said.

In balacncing the aspirations of the three regions, the group will have to do a tightrope walk. The political divides have sharpened with both Jammu and Ladakh feeling that their interests were sacrificed with Kashmir receiving much more attention. On the other hand, there is a strong element of alienation in the Valley.The group will have to consider substantive sub-plans for Jammu and Ladakh while addressing political issues put forward by sections of the Valley...................http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JQS8yMDExLzA5LzA0I0FyMDEwMDE=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom