The Maharashtra government, reeling under criticism over handling of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, has received another jolt with the widow of former Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare saying the state police force is ill-equipped to fight terrorists.
A special court on Thursday said the application of provisions of the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act in the Malegaon blast case by the Maharashtra police was valid.After perusing the chargesheet, special MCOCA judge Y D Shinde said prima facie there was evidence to invoke MCOCA in the case.The over 4,000-page chargesheet had been filed by the ATS against 14 accused in the case charging them under MCOCA.
This is what a defiant and talkative Abu Jundal, the Lashkar-e-Tayiba operative and key 26/11 handler who is in the custody of the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad told his interrogators. Vicky Nanjappa reports.
The IP (internet protocol) address of the sender has been traced to Pakistan, said the official.
A special court in Mumbai on Friday extended the police custody of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba operative and key 26/11 handler Sayed Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal till September 3 in connection with the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case.
In a twist, the widow of the senior police official with Maharashtra Anti- Terrorism Squad husband did not commit suicide, but he accidentally triggered the firearm that led to his death, police said on Thursday.
Local people prevented the police from reaching the site immediately after the blast and it could have been done to shield the accused, said Thakur's lawyer, advocate JP Mishra.
A special court on Tuesday allowed Anti-Terrorism Squad of Maharashtra police to subject suspected Lashkar-e-Tayiba operative Mohammed Aslam alias Saleem to scientific tests to find out his role in the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case.
Looking for clues to Wednesday's serial blasts, Maharashtra's Anti-Terrorism Squad has fanned out teams to various locations across the country and prepared a sketch of the suspect based on eyewitness accounts.
26/11 handler Abu Jundal has been in custody of the Delhi police's special cell since June 21, but insiders say that his 'real' interrogation is yet to begin. Vicky Nanjappa reports
Shukla, incidentally, was accused of tapping phones of some political leaders while she was chief of the state intelligence department in Maharashtra.
Amid reports that Pakistan may seek extradition of Malegaon blast accused Lieuteant Colonel Shrikant Purohit in the Samjhauta Express blast case, India on Tuesday virtually rejected the demand, saying Islamabad had no locus standi in the investigations involving the Army officer."The case (Malegaon blast) is under examination by the Anti-Terror Squad (of Maharashtra Police). It is our internal matter. We are investigating it. How can Pakistan be concerned with that,"he said.
A Mumbai court on Thursday extended the police custody of two suspected Indian Mujahideen operatives, arrested in connection with July 13 triple blasts, till February 10 after Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad sought to probe into the source of explosive materials and possible future terror targets.
'When there is a spontaneous movement against the State, it is easily crushed. But it is difficult to crush a guided movement because it has the support of activists and social workers'
Working in perfect coordination, the Delhi police, the National Investigation Agency and the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad have managed to crack the Pune blasts case. They have also busted a major module of the Indian Mujahideen and arrested three suspects -- Asad from Aurangabad, Imran Khan from Nanded and Sayeed from Pune. Four kg of explosives, eight detonators and nine volt batteries were found to be in possession of the arrested accused.
The Delhi police claims Ejaz Sheikh handed over ammunition for the German Bakery blasts to Yasin Bhatkal. In reality, Shaikh never knew Bhatkal.
Toral Varia Deshpande brings you the details of how rivalry between India's two of the most recognised agencies, the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad and the Special Cell of Delhi Police, has cost India one it's most wanted terrorist and 13/7 Mumbai serial blasts mastermind -- Yasin Ahmad Siddibappa alias Yasin Bhatkal.
Kurulkar and 'Zara Dasgupta' were in contact through WhatsApp as well as voice and video calls, the chargesheet said.
Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh on Sunday confirmed that the sensational letter to Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray was sent from his email-id.
A youth was arrested and arms and ammunition were recovered from his possession in Mumbai on Thursday, police said. Acting on a tip-off, Maharashtra Anti-terrorism Squad arrested 28-year-old Kailash Singh from suburban Chembur and recovered 10 pistols, one carbine and 68 cartridges from his possession, Anti-Terrorism Squad chief K P Raghuvanshi said.
It is not clear if it was the same Innova that was following the explosives-laden Scorpio before the latter was parked near Ambani's residence in south Mumbai on February 25.
Mumbai police, citing his suicide note, said the 1988-batch Indian Police Service officer took the extreme step 'out of frustration' due to his illness.
A startling disclosure by arrested Indian Mujahideen co-founder Yasin Bhatkal -- that his outfit carried out a reconnaissance of nearly a dozen spots in Mumbai in August -- has prompted Maharashtra police to beef up security.
A simulated security scare situation was created wherein four "terrorists" entered the RSS building, the official said late night.
Muzaffar Kola, accused for funding the 13/7 blasts is marked as 'wanted' in the chargesheet filed by Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad, but in reality, he lives at Jaali Cross Road in Bhatkal, Karnataka. Vicky Nanjappa speaks to the man and his family.
Fringe elements of the underworld may be involved in the serial blasts that shook Mumbai on Wednesday night and claimed 19 lives. The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad has started questioning some elements of the underworld and their informers to garner more clues about the case. "A turf war has been going on between the underworld and terror outfits for some time. We believe that the underworld may have carried out blasts to step up the heat on terror networks," said a source
The court passed the order after the Member of Parliament from Bhopal, a prime accused in the case, sought another exemption from appearance citing health problems.
A cache of explosives, including two live hand-grenades, 28 cartridges, and five empty cases of firearms was found dumped in a garbage-carrying vehicle in the vicinity of Army Centre in Deolali Camp area near Nashik on Saturday, police said.
The ATS official was cross-examined by Thakur's lawyer during the day's proceedings.
The witness, who worked at a hotel in Madhya Pradesh's Indore, had in his statement to the Anti-Terrorism Squad claimed that he had booked rooms for the accused in the case.
The chemist, Umesh Prahladrao Kolhe (54), was killed on June 21, and Maharashtra police have arrested five persons in connection with the incident.
Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday paid floral tributes to the martyrs who laid down their lives while fighting terrorists who attacked the metropolis on this day 15 years ago.
Arvind alias Guddan Ramvilas Trivedi, 46, an aide of Dubey, was allegedly involved in the killing of eight policemen during a raid on the slain gangster's house in Kanpur district.
According to a senior ATS official, the man identified as Rizwan Khan was arrested from his residence at Kalyan in Thane district on Friday night.
Gangster Suresh Pujari, wanted in several extortion cases in Mumbai region and Karnataka, has been deported to India, a senior police official said on Wednesday.
The joint statement was issued by retired DGPs Julio Ribeiro, Prakash Singh, P K Hormis Tharakan, Kamal Kumar, Jacob Punnoose, Sanjeev Dayal, Jayanto Choudhury and N Ramachandran.
The celebrated police officer was also involved in numerous operations against gangsters in Mumbai and terrorists during his decades-long career.
The NIA is already probing the case related to the recovery of a Scorpio SUV, parked near Ambani's residence 'Antilia', with gelatin sticks and has arrested an assistant police inspector, Sachin Waze.
Earlier, Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad arrested one person from Pune for giving shelter to both the suspected terrorists.
Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad would seek the custody of 26/11 Mumbai attacks handler Abu Jundal after Delhi police finish their probe, State Home Minister R R Patil said on Thursday.
