David Coleman Headley ...... one more chapter in this 'double agent' saga ......

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India to share NIA's chargesheet with Pak

Vishwa Mohan |TNN | Dec 26, 2011, 05.29AM IST

NEW DELHI: India will share NIA's chargesheet, filed against American terrorist David Coleman Headley and eight others, including Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed and two serving Pakistani Army officers, with Pakistan during home secretary-level talks between the two countries in Islamabad in January.

Though the NIA has in its chargesheet mainly replicated the FBI's findings, the sharing of legal document comprising corroborating details - gathered in India - may help New Delhi in putting some more pressure on Islamabad for delivering on its 'promise' to bring perpetrators of the 26\11 Mumbai terror attacks to justice.

"The details will be shared when Indian home secretary R K Singh visits Islamabad for talks later next month. Other details of the exchanges will be finalized once the Pakistani judicial commission, which is to visit here early January, completes its task here," said an official.

The Commission will visit Mumbai to take the statements of additional chief metropolitan magistrate R V Sawant Waghule and investigating officer Ramesh Mahale, who have recorded the confessional statement of Lashkar terrorist Ajmal Kasab, to pursue the 26\11 case in Pakistan. It will also interview two doctors, who carried out the post-mortem of the terrorists killed during the attack.

The 60-page NIA's chargesheet (filed on Saturday), however, did not restrict to details of 26\11 attack. It highlighted roles of Saeed, LeT commander Zakir-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, al-Qaeda operative Ilyas Kashmiri and two serving Pakistani Army officers - Major Iqbal and Major Sameer Ali - in "larger conspiracy to organize spectacular terrorist attacks on places of iconic importance in India".

The chargesheet also gave details of how Headley during his post-26\11 visits to India in March, 2009, went for reconnaissance trips for synchronized terror strikes on Jewish houses located in five places - New Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Pune and Pushkar - at the behest of Kashmiri.

Although the agency had questioned a number of local contacts of Headley, including film producer Mahesh Bhatt's son Rahul, during the probe, it gave all of them a `clean chit'. The chargesheet said: "He (Headley) befriended several individuals who had no knowledge of his activities".

It also documented the communication between Headley and his accomplice Tahawwur Hussain Rana through an email account - "movie.money@yahoo.com" - enlisting property details and debts.

Details of Headley's stay in two hotels - De Holiday Inn and Anand - in Delhi's Paharganj area and other hotels in places like Pune, Goa, Mumbai, Pushkar are given in the chargesheet, backed by records of his visit and travel documents.

The chargesheet said: "He also collected critical information and videos of places including but not limited to Chabad houses in India, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mantralaya and Air India building in Mumbai, National Defence College in Delhi and so on"...........http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTEvMTIvMjYjQXIwMTEwMA==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

Over to dance of democracy ..... Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur

Stage set for UP, other assembly polls in February

Vishwa Mohan |TNN | Dec 24, 2011, 02.14AM IST

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Friday agreed to provide adequate number of Central security forces to help the Election Commission (EC) in its plan to complete elections in UP in February, boosting the prospect of an early announcement of dates - which could come on Saturday itself - for the politically crucial contest.

Union home secretary R K Singh told the EC that the government can find the required number of paramilitary troops for deployment in UP polls even if it is clubbed with the elections in Uttarakhand and Punjab.

Sources said MHA is looking at deploying over 70, 000 troops on poll duty in the three states. "The ministry is fully prepared to provide required number of paramilitary personnel during February- April next year," said an official, who attended the meeting with Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi and his two colleagues, H S Brahma and VS Sampath.

The assurance of enough boots on the ground takes care of a major logistical concern for the EC, which is looking at February-end for holding elections in India's most populous state. Ensuring deployment of paramilitary forces has been a major factor with the EC in working out the dates.

With the Centre agreeing on Friday to provide forces for all assembly polls in February, the EC is expected to announce the timetable anytime now. Indications are that while EC will go for five- to seven-phase polls in UP, it may decide on a single-phase exercise in Punjab, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand.

Sources have, however, not ruled out clubbing polls in Uttarakhand and Punjab with one of the phases in UP. The poll commission is keen on clubbing UP with other poll-bound states despite Mayawati's manoeuvre to delay the exercise by bringing forward school exams to March 1.

She does not favour February polls because that will deprive her of the opportunity to use her absolute majority in the biggest assembly to boost BSP's strength in the RS. The biennial elections to the Upper House is scheduled to be held in April.

However, if she reckoned that moving the dates of school exams would deter the Commission from finishing the exercise in February, EC has proven her wrong.

Arranging for troops will not be an easy task for the ministry because of the internal security challenges. The deadly blend of insurgencies in J&K and elsewhere coupled with the unrelenting Maoist challenge, means the paramilitary troops remain stretched.

The dip in the terrorist threat during winter when snow shuts down passes through which terrorists are pushed, does offer a window.

UP assembly polls are crucial for Congress. Rahul Gandhi is pulling out all stops, and the party's success and the outcome there will certainly be painted as a referendum of sorts on his pull with the electorate..............http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTEvMTIvMjQjQXIwMDEwMg==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

David Coleman Headley ..... finally in Indian chargesheet with ISI operatives ... the trial will throw more light on this nefarious design of Pakistani state actors

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26/11 Mumbai terror attacks: In a first, NIA set to chargesheet ISI officers

Vishwa Mohan |TNN | Dec 22, 2011, 04.32AM IST

NEW DELHI: Government on Wednesday gave its sanction to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to chargesheet nine persons including American terrorist David Coleman Headley, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, al-Qaida operative Ilyas Kashmiri and two serving Pakistani army officers, who are posted with the country's spy agency ISI, for plotting terror strikes in India including the 26/11 Mumbai attack.

The sanction will now pave the way for NIA - which had registered the case against these accused in November 2009 - to file chargesheet against them in any day from now. It will happen just when New Delhi is getting ready for next round of home secretary-level talks between the two countries - sometime next month - in Islamabad.

Though the government has never minced words in saying that ISI had supported and continued to support various terrorist outfits to spread violence in India, it is for the first time that an Indian probe agency will name serving ISI officers - Major Iqbal and Major Samir Ali - in a chargesheet.

Name of a retired Pakistani army major, Abdul Rehman Hashim, will also be there in the chargesheet along with six others. It was Hashim who had set up the ISI's 'Karachi Project' and trained a number of Indian youths for carrying out attacks in India. The project is meant to bleed India using locals through LeT's network.

"The sanction of prosecution against the nine was accorded after a legal opinion. They will be named in the chargesheet for criminal conspiracy and waging war against the country under the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act," said a government source.

Others who will be chargesheeted include 26/11 attacks mastermind and Lashkar commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, another LeT's top operative Sajid Majid and Headley's accomplice and Pakistani-Canadian Tahawwur Hussain Rana.

The chargesheet will also be the first Indian 'legal' document mentioning about the 'Karachi Project' and how it is being ran by network of Indian Mujahideen (IM) terrorists who are LeT's fronts in India. The 'Project' was set up for giving an impression of 'home-grown' terror in India.

While Headley and Rana - arrested by the FBI in Chicago in October 2009 - have been in US jail ever since they were caught there, Lakhvi - arrested by Pakistani authorities in connection with the 26/11 terror attack -- has been in Pakistani jail. The others, however, remain scot free in Pakistan, despite India's repeated request to Islamabad.

Though the FBI had indicted both Headley and Rana for their roles in the 26/11 terror attacks, the Chicago Court had acquitted Rana in this case but found him guilty in Denmark terror attack plot.

The Court had found Headley guilty in Mumbai terror attack, but he - suspected to be a 'double agent' who had worked for US agencies before turning rogue and switching side to LeT - had entered into plea bargain with American authorities to escape harsh sentence and extradition to India.

The NIA's chargesheet will give details of Headley's activities in India during his multiple-visit to the country. The agency alleged that he had visited India "several times before 26/11 and once after" the Mumbai terror strikes, which left 166 people dead in November 2008...........................http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JSC8yMDExLzEyLzIyI0FyMDA5MDI=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

Terror Funding Template (TFT) ..... idea is to reach at source of the terror funding

NIA prepares template to glean information on terror funding

Vishwa Mohan |TNN | Dec 21, 2011, 01.51AM IST

NEW DELHI: National Investigation Agency (NIA) - an elite Central agency that was set up after 26\11 to probe terror-related cases - has prepared a 'Terror Funding Template' (TFT), which will help its officials and investigators of states' anti-terror agencies to extract information on terror funding.

This Template, describing core sources and methods for terror funding, has been circulated to all states and Union Territories for getting relevant information from terrorists and terror suspects during their interrogation and probe.

"The Terror Funding Template is prepared by the NIA in consultation with Central intelligence agency. This template is quite comprehensive that can be helpful in leading investigators to the source of funding for terrorist activities," said a home ministry official.

He said that the TFT can be used as vital 'interrogation and probe tools' to not only extract information from terrorists, but also keep eye on various other activities that directly or indirectly contribute to funding terrorist organizations in India and elsewhere.

Besides usual source of terror funding through hawala, narcotics trade and printing\circulation of fake Indian currency notes, the Template has taken into account `misuse' of 'zakat' - giving alms to poor and needy as prescribed by the Quran - to fund terror activities.

"Though it is primarily based on the tools used by Western anti-terror probe agencies, the Indian Template has factored in local issues like reports suggesting\alleging diversion of fund from various 'madarsas' along border areas to different terror outfits," said an official.

The NIA has recently registered two cases of terror funding, from which the agency got a lot of information about the method and source of such 'funds'.

The first case was registered on October 25 on the basis of information that the Jammu and Kashmir-based terror outfit, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), is being regularly and systematically funded from across the border for the purpose of terrorist activities in India.

The second similar case was registered on November 14 that relates to terror funding for both HM and Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)................................http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JSC8yMDExLzEyLzIxI0FyMDE0MDE=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

Bharat Ratna ..... appreciates this 'change' ... it may be reflected in the year 2012 award list

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Sachin Tendulkar, Dhyan Chand can now be given Bharat Ratna

Vishwa Mohan |TNN | Dec 16, 2011, 04.53AM IST

NEW DELHI: In a significant move clearing decks for Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar, legendary hockey player Dhyan Chand and others to get Bharat Ratna, the government has made a necessary change in eligibility criteria for a person getting the India's highest civilian honour.

The Bharat Ratna will now be awarded in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order "in any field of human endeavour" - covering almost all the fields that had earlier remained out of the purview of this civilian award.

Earlier, it was restricted to areas like "Art, Literature, Science and Public Service", making it difficult for government to consider names of those, who contributed immensely to other fields, including sports.

"The change is made through notification by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on recommendation of the home and sports ministries," said a senior official.

Supporting sports ministry's demand to include 'sports' as a category for the award of Bharat Ratna, the home ministry had written to the PMO in July, asking it to take the call as the decision would help outstanding sportspersons to be considered for the highest civilian award.

As the clamour for awarding Bharat Ratna to Tendulkar and Dhyan Chand gets louder, sports minister Ajay Maken had earlier written to home minister P Chidambaram seeking inclusion of 'sports' as a category for the award of Bharat Ratna. Maken, however, did not plead for any specific sportsperson or sports.

Before the change which is made now, the Bharat Ratna was considered only for those, who excelled for "exceptional service towards advancement of Art, Literature and Science, and in recognition of public service of the highest order". The recommendations for the Bharat Ratna - that was instituted in 1954 - are made by Prime Minister himself to President.

Though names of persons as per the eligibility criteria can be recommended by different state\Union Territories governments, organizations and individuals to PMO for consideration, no "formal recommendation" for this is necessary. It is also not mandatory that Bharat Ratna is awarded every year. The number of awards is, however, restricted to a maximum of three in a year.

So far, 41 people have been conferred with Bharat Ratna. The first three Indians, who received the prestigious award, were Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, Chakravarti Rajagopalachari and Sarvapali Radhakrishnan in 1954. There is no written provision that Bharat Ratna should be awarded to Indian citizens only.

The award has been conferred to a naturalized Indian citizen Mother Teresa (1980) and to two non-Indians - Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Nelson Mandela (1990). Pandit Bhimsen Joshi was the last recipient of the award in 2009.

Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajendra Prasad, Lata Mangeshkar, Ustad Bismillah Khan, Amartya Sen, Jayprakash Narayan, Pandit Ravi Shankar, M S Subbulakshmi, J R D Tata, A P J Abdul Kalam, Rajiv Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Morarji Desai and Bhimrao Ambedkar are among the other recipients of Bharat Ratna.........................http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDExLzEyLzE2I0FyMDE3MDA=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

Left cries 'deal' over this bonhomie ..... Will more such 'deal' get the country important legislations?

With BJP's help, govt passes LIC Bill in RS

Vishwa Mohan |TNN | Dec 15, 2011, 02.33AM IST

NEW DELHI: With main Opposition BJP turning out to be a 'saviour' for ruling UPA, Parliament on Wednesday approved a Bill for increasing paid-up capital to Rs 100 crore of the state-owned Life Insurance Corporation of India after the government faced some tense moments in the Rajya Sabha, where Left parties backed by BSP pressed for division of votes over an 'amendment'.

Though the Upper House negated the 'amendment'- moved by the CPM members Moinul Hassan and Tapan Kumar Sen - after voting, it was possible only when BJP, the second largest party in the Rajya Sabha, abstained.

Only 28 members, including BSP MPs, voted in favour of the Left-backed 'amendment', while 58 rejected it in the House with an effective strength of 241.

BJP member Prakash Javdekar too had moved 'amendments', but he later did not press for it when MoS for finance Namo Narain Meena clarified the scope of the Bill and said that the government would continue to provide sovereign guarantee to the policies sold by LIC.

The Bill had seen Left-backed division of vote in the Lok Sabha as well on Monday. But, the Lower House too had passed it when the 'amendment' - moved by CPM's Bansagopal Chaudhury - was negated with 17 'ayes' and 107 'nos'. Left members had staged a walk-out after voting in Lok Sabha.

Unlike in the Lok Sabha, Left members in the Rajya Sabha did not walk out after the voting and remained seated for discussion on another legislation - the Architects (Amendment) Bill, 2010 - that was moved for consideration and passing by HRD minister Kapil Sibal.

The LIC (Amendment) Bill seeks to bring LIC at par with private insurance companies by increasing the paid-up capital of the state insurer from the present level of Rs 5 crore to Rs 100 crore. The new legislation provides for sharing of 90% of LIC surplus with the policyholders from the existing 95%.

Almost the entire Opposition, including BJP, Left and BSP, raised question over this provision while taking part in the discussion before passing of the Bill. Javdekar contended that reducing the surplus would impact LIC's competitiveness. The BJP member also questioned LIC's decision to invest in realty firms such as Unitech, D B Realty and Omaxe, which have caused a loss to the tune of Rs 4,000 crore to the corporation.

Responding to members' concern, Meena later said the measure was to align the LIC with 21 private players in the sector. The reserved funds would be used for business expansion and corporate responsibility of LIC, besides having solvency margin for it, he added.

On Javdekar's question over LIC's investment, the minister said, "Some investments are under investigation".

Times View

The passage of this bill is a welcome departure from the logjam in Parliament. We only hope that such instances of bipartisanship were more common and cussedness by ruling or opposition parties in our legislatures more rare. There is a lot our legislators, whether in Parliament or in the states, could learn in this respect from the traditions of legislative bodies in the US. While bitter rivalry between parties is as much a reality of US politics as in India or indeed any healthy democracy, what the American experience shows is that this not need automatically translate into the politics of obstruction. When important legislation is blocked, after all, the country loses much more than any party does.........................http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JQkcvMjAxMS8xMi8xNSNBcjAwOTAw&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

Maoists ..... looking for different 'theatre' of activities

Maoists eyeing commercial hubs in Western India to spread Red terror

Vishwa Mohan |TNN | Dec 14, 2011, 04.00AM IST

NEW DELHI: After facing some reverses in their strongholds, the CPI (Maoist) has formed a 'Golden Corridor Committee' to build its base in hitherto untouched industrial areas of Gujarat and Maharashtra, stretching from Pune to Ahmedabad, including commercial hubs like Mumbai, Nashik, Surat and Vadodara.

Besides, the Red Ultras have planned to expand their movement to Nagpur, Wardha, Bhandara and Yavatmal districts of Maharashtra in addition to their existing bases in Gadchiroli, Gondia and Chandrapur in the state.

Maoists' game-plan to foray into these unexplored areas was disclosed by the Union home ministry in response to a question in Parliament on Tuesday. The ministry informed the Lok Sabha that Maharashtra alone had witnessed 221 deaths in naxal incidents from 2008 till November, 2011. The state has reported more deaths (51) this year as compared to 2010 when it had witnessed 45 killings in Red violence.

Security agencies had first got to know about the Maoists' plan to set up another theatre of their activities through the 'Golden Corridor Committee' after arresting a number of Ultras in Maharashtra in the past six months, including the first batch of 10 Maoists - all belong to West Bengal - in Pune in May. All the Ultras were working as casual labourers in different industrial units.

"Their questioning and subsequent arrests of many more Maoists gave us lot of details about the Ultras' plan to set up their bases in the industrial areas of Gujarat and Maharashtra," said an official.

Though the CPI (Maoist) had planned to set up the 'Golden Corridor Committee' in February, 2008, it took shape recently when Urban Unit of the Red Ultras started recruiting cadres in different cities of both the states - primarily from among those who are working in various industrial units.

Western India has become one of the eight strategic areas for Maoist activities. Establishing organizational bases in north-eastern India is yet another 'new' strategic area, where they have forged relations with insurgent groups to meet their military requirements.

In response to another question in the Lok Sabha, the ministry said that the CPI (Maoist) had developed "close fraternal ties with north-eastern insurgent groups like the Revolutionary People's Front (RPF) and People's Liberation Army (PLA) of Manipur. Both the outfits have agreed upon mutual cooperation in the areas of training, funding and supply of arms and ammunitions".

Referring to Maoists' north-east agenda, the ministry said: "The Upper Assam Leading Committee (UALC) of the CPI (Maoist) is presently operating in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh and has been involved in incidents of looting of weapons and extortion from local villagers".

Stating that the UALC has also engaged in recruitment and training of cadres for the outfit in Assam and these cadres have been utilized in extensive propaganda against mega dam in Assam, the ministry said: "In this backdrop, Assam-Arunachal border has emerged as another theatre of Maoist activity. The outfit is also establishing separate channels in the north-east, particularly in Nagaland, for procurement of ammunition."..........................http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDExLzEyLzE0I0FyMDE2MDA=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom