Mumbai shootout 26 Nov

The November 2008 Mumbai attacks were a series of ten coordinated attacks which began across Mumbai (Bombay), the largest city in India and the country’s financial capital, on 26 November 2008 and ended on 29 November 2008 when Indian security forces finally regained control of all attack sites.

Location	Type of attack	Casualties	Rescued
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Victoria) railway station	Shootings; grenade attacks.	55	none
Leopold Café, Colaba	Shootings, grenade explosion.	10	none
Taj Mahal Palace & Tower hotel	Shootings; six explosions; fire on ground, first, and top floors; hostages;RDX found nearby.	50 approx	around 250
Oberoi Trident hotel	Shootings; explosions; hostages; fire.	24	143
Metro Cinema	Shooting from carjacked police jeep
Cama Hospital	Shootings; hostages	3 policemen	none
Nariman House (Mumbai Chabad House)	Siege; shootings hostages.	6	9
Vile Parle suburb, North Mumbai	Car bomb blast.	3	none
Mazagaon docks	Explosion; boat with armaments seized.	none	none
Girgaum Chowpatty	1 terrorist killed and 1 arrested by a team from the Gamdevi police station.	2	none

Terrorists involved

* Azam Amir Kasav & Abu Ismail Dera Ismail Khan, (attacked CST, police vehicle in cama hospital, Metro cinema, Vidhan Bhavan, Girgaum Chowpatty)
* 4 Terrorists in Taj Hotel, 2 Terrorists in Oberoi Hotel, 2 Terrorists in Nariman House ( Abu Ali, Fahad, Omar, Shoaib, Umer, Abu Akasha, Abdul Rahman (Bara), and Abdul Rahman).

Entry into India

Date	Estimated Time (+0530 UTC)	Event
Nov 21	evening	Ten terrorists leave Karachi, Pakistan in a boat & travel for thirty-eight hours, remaining undetected by the Indian Navy.
Nov 22		Each of the 10 men are given 6-7 magazines of 30 rounds each plus 400 rounds not loaded in magazines , 8 hand grenades, one AK-47 assault rifle, an automatic loading revolver, credit cards and a supply of dried fruit.
Nov 22		A separate group check in to the Taj Hotel with arms and ammunition.
Nov 23		The terrorists hijack an Indian trawler, Kuber, killing four fishermen and ordering the captain to sail to India.
Nov 24		The terrorists kill the captain and sail to Gujarat and raise a white flag. Two coast guard officers approach and question them. They kill one of the officers and force the other to sail them to Mumbai.
Nov 26		They reach within four nautical miles (7 km) of Mumbai and kill the other coast guard officer. They then proceed to board three inflatable speedboats and reach Colaba jetty at dusk.
Nov 26		The ten men get off at Badhwar Park, Cuffe Parade, three blocks away from Nariman House.
Nov 26		Four of the men enter the Taj Mahal Hotel, two enter the Oberoi Trident, two enter Nariman House, and the other two men, Azam and Ismail, take a taxi to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.

At the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel

Sources: NDTV, Evening Standard, and BBC

Date	Estimated Time (+0530 UTC)	Event
Nov 26	11:00 PM	Terrorists enter Taj hotel.
Nov 27	12:00 AM	Mumbai Police surrounds the hotel.
Nov 27	01:00 AM	Massive blast in the central dome, fire in the building.
Nov 27	02:30 AM	Army soldiers arrive in two trucks and enter the front lobby. Fire spreads across the top floor.
Nov 27	03:00 AM	Fire Engines arrive. Shootings heard inside lobby and heritage building.
Nov 27	4:00 AM	Firemen rescue people with ladders. More than 200 people evacuated
Nov 27	4:30 AM	Terrorists reported to move from central dome to new tower.
Nov 27	5:00 AM	Commandos and Bomb squad arrive. Police step up heat.
Nov 27	5:30 AM	Fire brought under control but terrorists holed up in new tower with 100–150 hostages.
Nov 27	6:30 AM	Security forces say they are ready for encounter.
Nov 27	8:00 AM	People are brought out of the lobby.
Nov 27	8:30 AM	Another 50 people brought out of Chambers club.
Nov 27	9:00 AM	More rounds of firing, many more people reported to be stuck inside.
Nov 27	10:30 AM	Gunbattle reported from inside
Nov 27	12 Noon	50 evacuated
Nov 27	4:30 PM	Militants set fire to a room on the 4th floor
Nov 27	7:20 PM	More NSG commandos arrive, enter hotel
Nov 27	11:00 PM	Operations continue
Nov 27	2:53 PM	Six bodies recovered
Nov 27–28	2:53 PM – 3:59	Ten grenade explosions
Nov 28	3:00 PM	Marine commandos recover explosives from Taj.
Nov 28	4.00 PM	12–15 dead bodies recovered from the Taj by Naval Commandos.
Nov 28	7:30 PM	Fresh explosions and gun shots at Taj Hotel.
Nov 28	8:30 PM	Reported that one terrorist left at the Taj.
Nov 29	3:40 AM – 4:10 AM	Reports of five explosions at the Taj.
Nov 29	5:05 AM	Revised estimate of one terrorist remaining.
Nov 29	07:30 AM	Fire raging on first floor. Black smoke from second floor. Gunshots heard frequently—apparent gun battle.
Nov 29	08:00 AM	Indian commandos state that the Taj Hotel is now under control. However they are still conducting room to room searches. People celebrate on the streets.

At the Oberoi Trident

Date	Estimated Time	Event
Nov 27	6 AM	NSG arrives, storms hotel.
Nov 27	8:40 AM	Firing heard, Top army, navy officers arrive and take stock.
Nov 27	1:30 PM	Two small explosions. More reinforcements enter building.
Nov 27	3:25 PM	Some foreign hostages rescued
Nov 27	5:35 PM	Sikh regiment arrives, fierce gunbattle.
Nov 27	6 PM	27 hostages come out of Air India building, four foreigners taken to hospital.
Nov 27	6:45 PM	Explosion heard. Two NSG guards, 25 army personnel suspected injured. More people rescued, in all 31.
Nov 27	7:10 PM	1 terrorist arrested.
Nov 27	7:25 PM	Fire breaks out on 4th floor
Nov 27	11 PM	Operations continue
Nov 28	10 AM	Many hostages evacuated from the Trident building.
Nov 28	3:00 PM	Commando operations at Oberoi over, 24 dead bodies recovered. 143 hostages rescued alive. Two militants shot dead.

At Nariman House

Date	Estimated Time	Event
Nov 27	7 AM	Police began evacuating adjacent buildings.
Nov 27	11 AM	Cross-firing between terrorists and police; one militant injured.
Nov 27	2:45 PM	Terrorists threw grenade into nearby lane; no casualties.
Nov 27	5:30 PM	NSG commandos arrive, naval helicopter took aerial survey.
Nov 27	11 PM	Operations continued.
Nov 27	12 PM	9 hostages rescued from first floor.
Nov 28	7:30 AM	NSG commandos airdropped onto the top of Nariman house.
Nov 28	7:30 PM	All 6 hostages including the Rabbi and his wife found killed by the terrorists.
Nov 28	8:30 PM	NSG commandos declared the operations over, 2 terrorists killed.

Casualties

At least 172 people had been killed in the attacks and 293 wounded. Among the dead were 124 Indian civilians, 17 policemen and 31 foreigners. The breakdown of the foreigners was as follows: four Americans, four Australians, three Canadians, three Germans, two Israeli-Americans, two Israelis, two French, two Italians, one British-Cypriot, one Dutch, one Japanese, one Jordanian, one Malaysian, one Mauritian, one Mexican, one Singaporean and one Thai.

In addition, nine terrorists were killed and one was captured.

27 other foreigners of different nationalities were injured in the terror strikes and were admitted to the Bombay Hospital. Hospital sources said the injured foreigners were from Australia, USA, UK, Canada, Germany, Canada, Spain, Norway, Finland, Oman, China, Japan, the Philippines and Jordan.

Andreas Liveras, a British yachting tycoon (of dual Greek Cypriot and British citizenship), was among those confirmed killed. German TV producer Ralph Burkei, and French lingerie tycoon, Loumia Hiridjee and her husband, were also among the dead. Husband and wife, Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and Rivka Holtzberg, both of whom were hostages in Nariman House, also died during the attack.

According to Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, 14 policemen and three NSG commandos were killed, including the following officers:

• Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad Chief Hemant Karkare, who headed the team investigating the politically sensitive 2006 Malegaon blasts. Karkare had also been receiving death threats recently, including a threat to bomb his residence, but it is unclear if these were related to his death.
• Additional Commissioner of Police: Ashok Kamte
• Encounter specialist: Vijay Salaskar
• Senior inspector Shashank Shinde, who had recently been involved in investigating many of India’s recent bombings.
• NSG Commando, Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan
• NSG Commando Hawaldar Chandar
• NSG Commando Gajendra Singh

Three railway officials of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus had also been killed in the terror strikes.

The Government of Maharashtra announced Rs. 5 lakh (about 10,000 USD) compensation to the kin of those killed in the terror attacks and Rs. 50,000 (about 1,000 USD) to the seriously injured.

Nationality	Deaths	Injured
Indian	141	256
American	4	2
Australian	4	2
Canadian	3	2
German	3	3
American-Israeli	2	–
Israeli	2	–
French	2	–
Italian	2	–
Cypriot-British	1	–
Dutch	1	–
Japanese	1	1
Jordanian	1	1
Malaysian	1
Mauritian	1	–
Mexican	1	–
Singaporean	1	–
Thai	1	–
Austrian	–	1
British	–	7
Chinese	–	1
Omani	–	2
Filipino	–	1
Spanish	–	2
Finnish	–	1
Norwegian	–	1

Muslim Council refuses to bury militants in India

The Muslim Council of India decided not to allow burial of the bodies of the nine terrorists killed during the Mumbai siege in the Marine Lines Bada Qabrastan (cemetery). The council said it was trying to send a message to all cemeteries in India that none of the bodies should be buried on Indian soil.

Strong Nationalism among general public

The attack has put challenges for the Congress-led Indian government ahead of general elections, and also to persuade Pakistan to act against militants. Many general public want some kind of clear response to the attack that killed 183 people, from identifying and punishing the masterminds to trade sanctions against Pakistan, or passing firm anti-terrorism laws within India

Terrorism in Mumbai

The city of Mumbai, India has suffered several terrorist attacks, mostly bombings, including:

* 12 March 1993 – Series of 13 bombs go off killing 257
* 06 December 2002 – Bomb goes off in a bus in Ghatkopar killing 2
* 27 January 2003 – Bomb goes off on a bicycle in Vile Parle killing 1
* 14 March 2003 – Bomb goes off in a train in Mulund killing 10
* 28 July 2003 – Bomb goes off in a bus in Ghatkopar killing 4
* 25 August 2003 – Two Bombs go off in cars near the Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar killing 50
* 11 July 2006 – Series of seven bombs go off in trains killing 209
* 19 October 2008 – North Indians killed in various part of Maharastra. (killed 20 people).
* 26 November 2008 to 29 November 2008 – Coordinated series of attacks killing at least 189

 

Major terror attacks in India

November 26, 2008: At least 101 killed, hundreds injured in a series of synchronised attacks in Mumbai around midnight on Wednesday. Three top Mumbai Police officials also killed in encounter.

September 13, 2008: At least 15 killed and over 110 injured in five blasts across New Delhi.

July 26, 2008: 29 killed and over 100 injured in 17 serial bomb blasts in Ahmedabad. Read story: The nation that failed

July 25, 2008: At least two killed and 20 injured in eight low-intensity blasts in Bangalore.

May 13, 2008: At least 63 were killed in nine bomb blasts in Jaipur. Read story: Why and who did it?

August 25, 2007: At least 42 people were killed in two blasts in Hyderabad’s Lumbini park and a restaurant.

May 18, 2007: At least 13 were killed in the bombing at Mecca Masjid, Hyderabad, which took place during Friday prayers.

September 8, 2006: Over 37 killed and 125 injured in a series of bomb blasts in the vicinity of a mosque in Malegaon, Maharashtra.

July 11, 2006: Over 200 killed in a series of seven blasts in Mumbai local trains.

March 7, 2006: At least 21 killed in three attacks in Varanasi in Shri Sankatmochan Mandir and Cantonment Railway Station.

October 29, 2005: Three powerful serial blasts in New Delhi just two days before Diwali. About 70 people died.

August 15, 2004: 16 killed in explodes in Assam. Most of them were schoolchildren.

August 25, 2003: Simultaneous car bombs in Mumbai kill 52

May 14, 2003: Terrorists attack an army camp near Jammu, killing more than 30, including women and children.

March 13, 2003: A bomb attack on a train in Mumbai kills 11.

September 24, 2002: Terrorists attack the Akshardham temple in Gujarat. 31 dead.

December 13, 2001: Terrorists attack parliament complex in New Delhi killing seven.

October 1, 2001: Attack on J&K assembly complex kills around 35.

February 14, 1998: Blasts in Coimbatore kill 46.

March 12, 1993: 257 die in Mumbai serial blasts.

 

Voices

With each attack come condemnation, relief packages, VIP visits and then brickbats. Politicians attack, friends grieve and colleagues praise.

A draconian (anti-terrorism) law is likely to be misused. We are known as on eof the best protectors of human rights in the world
– KG Balakrishnan, Chief Justice of India

The only achievement of successive governments of the last 10 years has been the creation of such an atmosphere where nobody would trust Muslims
– HD Deve Gowda

If Allah wants, I’ll bomb the market where my mother buys vegetables. She will be sent to paradise.
– Zia-ur Rehman, Delhi bomber

Allah does miracles to save a jihadi, that is true.
– Saquib Nisar, Delhi bomber

I experienced an awakening after I committed my life to Allah. Now life and death are same.
– Mohammed Shakeel, Delhi bomber

Whatever knowledge I have about Islam, I have no regrets about what I did.
– Zia-ur Rehman, Delhi bomber

He (Atif) is dead and we are here (in prison). No regrets, it’s Allah’s test of our fortitude.
– Mohammed Shakeel, Delhi bomber

My father told me I’m not his son. He doesn’t understand jihad for Allah, and nothing else matters to me.
– Zia-ur Rehman, Delhi bomber

If you follow things that are happening in the world, also in India, Muslims are not welcome.
– Mohammed Shakeel, Delhi bomber

We loved to hear Atif talk about jihad. He told me that only a few get to wage jihad for Allah.
– Saquib Nisar, Delhi bomber

The jihad is against Maharashtra for ignoring the Srikrishna Report and for what happened in Gujarat.
– Zia-ur Rehman, Delhi bomber

A handful of Allah ke bande were able to paralyse the economic life of such a big country.
– Mohammed Shakeel, Delhi bomber

By its inaction on the Afzal case, the UPA government has reduced the country’s image to that of a soft state.
– L. K. Advani, Leader of the Opposition

Now that they are out of power, they can say anything. But what is important is what they did while in power.
– Abhishek Singhvi, Congress spokesperson

If the UPA government takes any sincere step to combat terrorism, it will get full support from our party.
– Rajnath Singh, BJP president

Blasts are not a cricket match where I should give you a running commentary. Whatever is shared between Gujarat police and us is confidential and should not be revealed.
– Y. S. Dadwal, Delhi Police commissioner

There should be a strong law (to deal with terror)…. A powerful law, not a failed law. POTA is a failed law.
– Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretary and Congress MP

We have lost our best man.
– Delhi Police on Mohan Chand Sharma

He was the all-rounder of the module. He is handsome, tall, very net savvy and did polished talking. He used to chat a lot on the net and provided the camouflage to the module when they wanted to go underground.
– Deputy Commissioner of Police (South Delhi) on HGS Dhaliwal on Shaquir, one of the suspected terrorists

He has told the police that Atif planned to plant 20 bombs in the Nehru Place market.
– Deputy Commissioner of Police (South Delhi) on Shakil, another suspected terrorist

He can feel our touch and hear us speak, but he cannot react.
– Mother of Amit Singh, a Mumbai train blast victim

Is he alive or dead for us? You can decide for yourself
– G. Vasantha, mother of G. Sadashiva Reddy, a victim of Hyderabad blasts

For survivors like us, every moment is agony. Each time I hear of a blast, I just pray that the survivors don’t have to undergo what I have gone through.
– Vinod Poddar, 43, a government employee injured during the Delhi blasts in October 29, 2005

No, no, no. It (POTA) is a draconian (law) and against human rights. If the present anti-terror laws are implemented properly, there is no requirement for additional laws.
– Information and Broadcasting Minister PR Dasmunsi

The people who care about terrorists and terrorism are the ones who oppose strong laws.
– Narendra Modi, Chief Minister, Gujarat

We need tough laws for giving punishment and for the progress of investigation. You cannot fight the high-tech terrorists of the 21st century with outdated laws of the 19th century. This increases the confidence of terrorists.
– Narendra Modi, Chief Minister, Gujarat

 

A major terror target in India

More than 600 people have been killed and hundreds maimed and devastated in terror strikes in India in the last six years. Following is a chronology of the major terrorist attacks in the country:

* Mumbai, Nov 26, 2008: more than 80 people killed and many more injured in seven terror attacks targetting mostly foreigners’ hangout places.

* Assam, Oct 30, 2008: At least 80 killed (figure can change) and over 100 injured in 18 terror bombings across Assam.

* Imphal, Oct 21, 2008: 17 killed in a powerful blast near Manipur Police Commando complex.

* Kanpur, Oct 14, 2008: Eight people injured after bomb planted on a rented bicycle went off Colonelganj market.

* Malegaon, Maharashtra, Sep 29, 2008: Five people died after a bomb kept in a motorbike went off in a crowded market.

* Modasa, Gujarat, Sep 29 2008: One killed and several injured after a low-intensity bomb kept on a motorcycle went off near a mosque.

* New Delhi, Sep 27, 2008: Three people killed after a crude bomb was thrown in a busy market in Mehrauli.

* New Delhi, Sep 13, 2008: 26 people killed in six blasts across the city.

* Ahmedabad, July 26, 2008: 57 people killed after 20-odd synchronised bombs went off within less than two hours.

* Bangalore, July 25, 2008: One person killed in a low-intensity bomb explosion.

* Jaipur, May 13, 2008: 68 people killed in serial bombings.

* Hyderabad, Aug 25, 2007: 42 people killed in two blasts, at a popular eatery and a public park.

* Samjhauta Express, Feb 19, 2007: 66 people killed after two firebombs went off on the India-Pakistan friendship train.

 

VHP continues attack against Sonia Gandhi

New Delhi, Nov 26 (IANS) The Viswa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Tuesday linked Congress president Sonia Gandhi with the Catholic organisation Opus Dei (God’s Work) and urged the government to conduct a probe to uncover the mastermind behind “the unusual deaths” of her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi, husband Rajiv Gandhi and brother-in-law Sanjay Gandhi.

Describing Sonia Gandhi as the “daughter of Vatican” and Opus Dei, the “global Catholic outfit” that has an anti-India agenda, VHP president Ashok Singhal said: “Investigations must be made into the relationship between Sonia Gandhi and the Opus Dei and in this light, investigations must also be made to find the mastermind behind the unusual death of Sanjay Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.”

He also alleged that Opus Dei was behind the arrest of Sadhvi Prgnya Singh Thakur, and the apparent move by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the CBI to implicate VHP leader Pravin Togadia and other Hindu leaders in the Sept 29 Malegaon blast that killed six people and injured many more.

“For this conspiracy, a foreign woman has been planted and the Opus Dei, with which the woman is associated with, has been appointed three years ago to materialise the anti-India agenda. A foreign woman had revealed this secret to a prominent person three years ago,” Singhal maintained.

Singhal accused the ATS of “disrobing the innocent Sadhvi, tried to show her blue (obscene) CDs and questioned her chastity, thereby outraging the dignity of a chaste woman.”

“The subject of humiliation of Hindu sants (seers) and organisations would certainly be an election issue,” he added.

Gujarat wanted to question Malegaon blast accused: Modi

New Delhi, Nov 26 (IANS) Accusing the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government of being “soft” on terror, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday said his police department was denied permission to interrogate the Malegaon blast accused, including an in-service army officer.

“When we arrested terror accused in Gujarat, we allowed interrogation by other states. But when we sought to interrogate the Malegaon terror accused, we were denied the permission,” Modi said, addressing an election rally here.

Speaking about the alleged torture of Sadhvi Pragnya Singh Thakur, a blast accused, by Mumbai Anti Terrorism Squad, Modi said: “Sonia Gandhi herself is a woman but she allowed it to happen. This shows there is something wrong here.”

Continuing his tirade against the Congress and its “soft stand on terror”, Modi, campaigning for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), also spoke about the Batla House shootout between the police and alleged terrorists.

“A Delhi Police officer was martyred during the encounter but this government is defending terrorists arrested from the Batla House. Some politicians are even demanding judicial probe,” he said sarcastically at the BJP rally in Kalkaji, south Delhi.

Modi said the Delhi government had failed to provide security to women, children and senior citizens.

Electricity charges have been hiked “four times in the last few years but in Gujarat, it has not gone up even once”, he told a gathering of nearly 1,500 people who waited for over 90 minutes to listen to Modi.

Earlier in the day, Modi was disallowed to hold a rally in Balmiki Basti in the New Delhi constituency where BJP’s Vijay Jolly is contesting against Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.

“Sonia Gandhi can hold rallies, Mayawati can hold rallies but there is problem in Modi holding rallies,” he said.

The Gujarat chief minister said he had met Dikshit a few days back. Though Dikshit talked to him nicely, “she had told me not come to her constituency… I thought she was joking. But today I realised it was not a joke”.

Malegaon blast inquiry should be impartial: Advani

New Delhi, Nov 26 (IANS) Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani Tuesday said he had no objection to the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) investigating the Malegaon blast but the inquiry should be impartial and professional.

Addressing an election rally in Delhi’s Rithala constituency Tuesday evening, Advani said: “The affidavit by Sadhvi Pragnya Singh (arrested for the bombings that she was tortured in custody by the ATS is alarming. Anyone who reads the affidavit will be shocked.”

The BJP leader said the ATS had not found any substantial evidence in the case so far. “I have no problem in the case being investigated, but it should be impartial,” he said. He addressed two other rallies in the city late Tuesday evening.

The public meeting was attended by about 6,000 people in the constituency’s Buddh Vihar phase-2 locality. The BJP’s sitting legislator Kulwant Rana is contesting for this seat. Delhi goes to polls Nov 29 to elect 70 legislators.

Advani said that the central government was disallowing the hanging of Afzal Guru in the parliament terror attack case while the same Congress party’s govenment did not object to capital punishment to the assailants of the late prime minister Indira Gandhi.

He said the Congress-led government was incapable of combating terrorism and only the BJP could tackle it.

Advani took a dig at the Congress also for spiralling prices of essential commodities and said that when the BJP was leading the central government under prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee it effectively checked inflation.

“Prices of everything, from vegetables, essential commodities, to cement and iron, had increased and the government was unable to do anything about it,” he said.

Maharashtra top cop gets notice on Pragnya’s torture claim

New Delhi, Nov 26 (IANS) The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notice to Maharashtra’s director general of police and the chief secretary over the alleged torture of Malegaon bomb blast accused Sadhvi Pragnya Thakur, an official said Tuesday.

The NHRC’s move has come after a complaint was filed alleging that Thakur was being harassed by the state’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).

Thakur filed an affidavit in a Nashik court Nov 17, claiming the ATS was torturing her and violating her human rights.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani sought a judicial inquiry in the case.

Six people were killed and 20 injured in the bomb blast in Malegaon Sept 29.

Malegaon accused gets further custody in Purna blast case

Purna (Maharashtra), Nov 26 (IANS) A local court Tuesday extended the police custody of Malegaon blast accused Rakesh Dhawde by three days to facilitate further investigation of his role in a blast that took place here in 2004.

Dhawde, a dealer in illicit arms in Pune, was already in custody of the local crime branch police since Nov 21 but Judge Sajid Arif of the junior magistrate first class court granted the police request for extended custody till Nov 28.

While 18 persons were injured in the Purna blast that took place outside a mosque, six people were hurt in a similar blast that occurred the same day in adjoining Jalna town and one person died in a bomb explosion in Parbhani town in 2003.

Dhawde is suspected to have some connection with these blasts, as also in the accidental explosion in Nanded in 2006 in which two Bajrang Dal workers, Himanshu Panse and Naresh Rajkondawar, were killed while trying to make a bomb at Rajkondawar’s residence.

The accused is learnt to have admitted to the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the Maharashtra Police that he arranged transport for participants of the Abhinav Bharat-Bajrang Dal training camp in Simhagad, on the outskirts of Pune in July 2003, from four towns in Marathwada.

Both Panse and Rajkondawar had attended the Simhagad camp, in which Malegaon blast accused Lt. Col. Prasad Purohit, Major (retd) Ramesh Upadhyay, Sadhvi Pragnya Thakur and Dayanand Pandey are said to have played a major role.

Dhawde has also reportedly admitted helping the organisers of the camp with arms and explosives for use in the training.

In fact, the Central Bureau of Investigation officers, who have recently reopened the Nanded blast probe in the light of leads emerging from the Malegaon blast investigations, were all set to move a Nanded court Tuesday for Dhawde’s custody.

The ATS probe in all the four blasts has been taken over by the CBI, which had dropped the chargesheets prepared by the Maharashtra investigating agency.

The extended police custody remand of Dhawde in the Purna blast case is likely to help the police draw a connection between the four Marathwada blasts and the Sept 29 terror strike in Malegaon.

Dhawde is learnt to have attended the Sept 16 Abhinav Bharat meeting in Nashik’s Bhonsala Military School premises along with the other key accused, where the Malegaon blast plan was supposedly finalised.

 

My daughter Sadhvi Pragya

Dr Chandrapal Singh is a master at detecting disease merely by feeling the pulse of his patients. He practices the ancient method of nadi nidan as recommended in ancient Ayurveda texts.

It’s a moot point if he was able to detect what went wrong with his second daughter, Puranchetanand Giri, better known as Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, who has been arrested by the Mumbai police’s Anti Terrorist Squad in connection with the bomb blast in Malegaon on September 29.

Pragya’s arrest is a turning point in the ongoing heated political debate over terrorism, home-grown terrorists and related issues like political rights and duties of the minority and majority communities in India. The stereotype-breaking police allegation against Pragya and her associates is the first time Hindus have been linked to terrorism in India.

Is Pragya Thakur involved in planting bombs in Malegaon as the ATS would like us to believe? Is she the first Hindu woman terrorist in India? Has she been trapped for political reasons? Is she a believer in rabid Hindutva trapped in a police case or did she participate willingly in a terrorist act to protest against jihadi terrorism?

These are pertinent questions. The ATS is searching for more evidence with the help of forensic tests like narco-analysis, psycho-profiling and lie-detector tests.

Meanwhile, rediff.com’s Sheela Bhatt travelled to Surat where she spoke to Pragya’s father Dr Chandrapal Singh to know more about the sadhvi’s early life.

Dr Chandrapal Singh is a committed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh worker for the last 35 years and believes in its core ideology of Hindu rashtra. He claims he personally knows the RSS supremo K S Sudarshan and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

When the conversation was in progress, Pragya’s mother Sarla Devi interrupted to say that Modi had even visited their home.

 

Sensex below 8000

The much-talked Orissa nun rape case has taken an interesting turn, as the nun, Sister Meena Lalita Barwa, who had gone into hiding and refused to cooperate with the police, broke her silence and held a press conference in New Delhi. The nun, whose face and head were covered with a scarf, sobbed before the international, national and regional TV cameras while narrating her tale of horror. The nun, Sister Meena revealed that she was raped by a rioting mob in K. Nuagaon in Kandhamal on August 25. Her press conference was held under the aegis of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India. The nun had to come out in open after the Supreme Court rejected her demand for a CBI probe and asked her to cooperate with the state crime branch. With tears rolled down her cheeks and a choked voice, Sister Meena said, “I was raped and now I don’t want to be victimised by the Orissa Police. I want a CBI inquiry. The state police were present when I was brutally raped. They were friendly with the attackers and tried their best to prevent me from filing an FIR. I don’t have any trust in Orissa police. I want a CBI probe”, said the nun. The nun read from a prepared statement at the press conference held at the Indian Social Institute on Lodhi Road in Delhi. During the 15-minute press conference, she narrated her traumatic experience in details, but did not take any questions. She also said that the rape occurred in the presence of over a dozen policemen. According to her version, she was raped, paraded naked and then handed over to the Block Development Officer, who took her to K. Nuagaon police outpost. Later, when she and Father Chellan tried to file an FIR, they were discouraged by the IIC, Baliguda Police Station. She also had to undergo a medical examination around 10 in the night. The nun confirmed that the mob also misbehaved and beat up Father Thomas Chellantharayil alias Father Chellan, who was with her. She demanded an immediate CBI probe and maintained that she does not want to cooperate with the state police, as she has lost trust in them.

Students in Bihar went on a rampage during today’s Bihar Bandh. Thousands of students turned violent and tried to vandalize the Patna University. The police had to resort to lathicharge to disperse the mob. The mob also set Sheikhpura Railway Station on fire and disrupted train services across Bihar. At least 150 students have been arrested so far. The Bihar Bandh has been called by student unions in Bihar.

A group of miscreants belonging to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) ransacked the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) office in Nasik, protesting against the former ABVP member Pragyan (Pragnya) Singh in the Malegaon blast. The NCP goons shouted anti-ABVP slogans and attacked the ABVP office in Ashok Stambh locality in Nasik. The miscreants damaged the furniture and the board of VHP. They reportedly blackened the face of some ABVP members present in the office. Later, VHP and ABVP workers took to the streets in protest against the attack on ABVP office. Situation is tense, but under control in Nasik.

The Mumbai ATS confirmed that only a fringe Hindu group headed by Sadhvi Pragnya (Pragyan) Singh Chandrapal Singh Thakur (38) is involved in the Malegaon bomb blast. Pragnya Singh Thakur, known as Sadhvi Purnachetnagiri has taken ‘Sanyas’ in January 2007 and reportedly formed a group of fundamentalists to avenge the bomb blasts conducted by Islamic terror groups. Sadhvi Pragnya had joined ABVP in 1993. However, she later became a fierce leader, advocating Hindu Nationalism. Sadhvi Pragnya was the head of Madhya Pradesh ABVP Unit in 2002. She was seen campaigning for the BJP in Gujarat in 2002 and 2007 elections. Pragnya also shared the stage with Gujarat CM Narendra Modi during an election campaign. She denounced the material life and took ‘Sanyas’ in January 2007. The BJP, Bajrang Dal and ABVP now deny any link with Pragnya for a long time. According to sources, Pragnya was a fighter since her childhood. If we believe her father, who gave an interview to Star News TV Channel, Pragnya always fought injustice and never tolerated anti-social activities. According to her father Chandrapal Singh, Pragnya and her sister once beat up a group of goons from Congress party when they dared to take on the sisters. Pragnya and her sister reportedly beat up those goons to such an extent that they begged for mercy before these strong girls. Sadhvi Pragnya has been a tomboy since her childhood. She dressed up like boys, kept short hairs, learned fighting skills and had a great passion for bikes. She can ride any bike including Pulsar, Bullet etc. etc. She founded the Jai Vande Mataram Jan Kalyan Samiti in 2002. Pragnya’s accomplices Shivnarayan Gopalsingh Kalsangra (36) and Shyam Sabarlal Sahu (42), who were arrested by the Mumbai ATS, were part of her network. Her speeches were fiery and full of hatred against the Islamic terrorists. The Mumbai Police believe that Pragnya had a mission of carrying out bomb blasts across the country to avenge the bomb blasts conducted by Islamic terror groups. She had hatred in her mind and followed religious fanaticism. Although she was a former member of ABVP and Hindu Jagran Manch, she had formed her own network and pursued the mission secretly. It’s surprising that she chose her own bike to carry out the blast. According to Mumbai ATS, two Army officers detained in Pune, helped her to bring RDX from Kanpur. More arrests are likely in this case, as the ATS has reached Bhopal to proceed with their probe. The ATS sources claim that they have a 400 minutes tape between Sadhvi Pragnya and her associates. The tape was compiled after analyzing Pragnya’s mobile call details. More skeletons will tumble, as the probe progresses. Meanwhile, BJP and ABVP have distanced themselves from Sadhvi Pragnya, saying she was a former member of ABVP and had no recent links with the organization. However, Sadhvi Uma Bharti and Sadhvi Ritambara have come out in support of Sadhvi Pragnya and termed the latest development as a pre-planned conspiracy to frame Hindu groups. Hundreds of people took out a procession in Jabalpur in support of Sadhvi Pragnya. They burnt the effigy of Maharashtra government for allegedly framing Sadhvi Pragnya.

At 1127 hours, the 30-share BSE Index is down 443 points at 8257. NSE Nifty is down 128 points at 2,455. Sensex @1127 hrs: The Sensex touched a low of 8,057, and is now down 447 points at 8,254. Wipro has slumped 16.7% to Rs 196. Tata Power has tumbled nearly 14% to Rs 539. DLF has crashed 11% to Rs 181. SBI and Hindustan Unilever have plunged over 10% each to Rs 1,037 and Rs 202, respectively. TCS and NTPC have shed 9.5% each at Rs 443 and Rs 118, respectively. Tata Steel has dropped 9% to Rs 162. ONGC and Reliance Communications have slipped 7.8% each to Rs 608 and Rs 178, respectively. Ranbaxy has declined 7.5% to Rs 175. HDFC Bank and Grasim are down 6.8% each at Rs 906 and Rs 982, respectively. Mahindra & Mahindra, however, has rebounded into the positive zone and is now up 1.6% at Rs 292.

Bus Hijacked in Mumbai An unidentified gunman was killed on Monday by Mumbai Police in a state transport bus after he was suspected of trying to take the passengers hostage in suburban Kurla. The incident occurred around 0930 hours inside a BEST bus in the city’s northeast suburb of Kurla, they said. “The man fired at the police in ‘Bail’ bazar area of Kurla and was shot in retaliatory fire,” Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), Rakesh Maria said. The police suspect that the gunman was trying to take the bus passengers hostage and ‘this is being verified’. He was pronounced dead at the Rajawadi hospital in Ghatkopar, police said but did not release details about him. A passenger, who also sustained injuries in the incident, has been taken to the same hospital, where his condition is reported to be critical.

 

Motherfucker of the Decade

Motherfucker of the Decade Mumbai, October 9: Toughening his stand against migrants, specially north Indians, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray indicated on Thursday that his party would launch more intense agitation on the issue. “Whatever happened so far was a trailer, a teaser. There are more to come,” the belligerent MNS chief said during an interactive session for online edition of a leading Marathi newspaper. You come as a paying guest and claim right of ownership over the house. This won’t be tolerated,” Thackeray said. “In Maharashtra, nine crore Marathi people are taken for granted and the remaining two crore, who are outsiders, are appeased,” he added. MNS would contest Lok Sabha polls, Raj said, adding that he would not go in for poll-alliances at the cost of interests of Marathi people. Ruling out his contesting elections, Raj said the Nano project would not have gone to Gujarat if he were the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Raj riled ruling politicians for failure to make an offer similar or better than the one made by Gujarat CM Narendra Modi to Tata. “Our politicians only think of their own constituencies, not the entire state. The Nano project is coming up in Sanand which is not Modi’s constituency. We lack this kind of vision in our state,” he said. “There is a new culinary dish being churned out in the political arena and it is called ‘spineless politician’ like the boneless chicken,” Raj said (means Raj is boneless Chicken) . “Give me power and I’ll fix everyone and everything using the language they best understand,” he added. “After my agitation (against non-Marathis), Marathi people are walking about with pride in their own state,” he claimed. Besides Mumbai, there is also unrest among Marathi population in rural Maharashtra as north Indians are making inroads into their area, the MNS chief said. “Former chief minister of Maharashtra, late Vasantdada Patil once said ‘there is Mumbai in Maharashtra but there is no Maharashtra in Mumbai’. Outsiders are deciding our future. Who has given them this right? They should go back to their native lands and make Mumbai out of their cities and towns,” Raj said. Asked if he would go for a poll alliance, Raj said, “I am not deliberately looking for any political alliance. But, I am open to any political party approaching us to form an alliance. I will, however, not abandon my agenda (the Marathi issue) at any cost.” On the emerging trend in Mumbai cooperative societies of selectively allowing people like vegetarians and specific communities, Raj said, “this is absolutely wrong and is being done purposely with support from parties like BJP.” Commenting on the likeness between him and his uncle and Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, Raj said, “I was born and brought up in that family. I do not consciously imitate him; it’s in my blood. My likeness to him is a matter of natural influence, something I cannot avoid.”

 

Terrible of the Decade

Terrible of the Decade Mumbai, October 9: Toughening his stand against migrants, specially north Indians, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray indicated on Thursday that his party would launch more intense agitation on the issue. “Whatever happened so far was a trailer, a teaser. There are more to come,” the belligerent MNS chief said during an interactive session for online edition of a leading Marathi newspaper. You come as a paying guest and claim right of ownership over the house. This won’t be tolerated,” Thackeray said. “In Maharashtra, nine crore Marathi people are taken for granted and the remaining two crore, who are outsiders, are appeased,” he added. MNS would contest Lok Sabha polls, Raj said, adding that he would not go in for poll-alliances at the cost of interests of Marathi people. Ruling out his contesting elections, Raj said the Nano project would not have gone to Gujarat if he were the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Raj riled ruling politicians for failure to make an offer similar or better than the one made by Gujarat CM Narendra Modi to Tata. “Our politicians only think of their own constituencies, not the entire state. The Nano project is coming up in Sanand which is not Modi’s constituency. We lack this kind of vision in our state,” he said. “There is a new culinary dish being churned out in the political arena and it is called ‘spineless politician’ like the boneless chicken,” Raj said (means Raj is boneless Chicken) . “Give me power and I’ll fix everyone and everything using the language they best understand,” he added. “After my agitation (against non-Marathis), Marathi people are walking about with pride in their own state,” he claimed. Besides Mumbai, there is also unrest among Marathi population in rural Maharashtra as north Indians are making inroads into their area, the MNS chief said. “Former chief minister of Maharashtra, late Vasantdada Patil once said ‘there is Mumbai in Maharashtra but there is no Maharashtra in Mumbai’. Outsiders are deciding our future. Who has given them this right? They should go back to their native lands and make Mumbai out of their cities and towns,” Raj said. Asked if he would go for a poll alliance, Raj said, “I am not deliberately looking for any political alliance. But, I am open to any political party approaching us to form an alliance. I will, however, not abandon my agenda (the Marathi issue) at any cost.” On the emerging trend in Mumbai cooperative societies of selectively allowing people like vegetarians and specific communities, Raj said, “this is absolutely wrong and is being done purposely with support from parties like BJP.” Commenting on the likeness between him and his uncle and Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, Raj said, “I was born and brought up in that family. I do not consciously imitate him; it’s in my blood. My likeness to him is a matter of natural influence, something I cannot avoid.”

 

Mamata apprise PM on Singur situation

SP General Secretary Amar Singh along with Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banjeree met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Pratibha Patil on Tuesday and apprised them of how farmers faced a tough time in Singur due to anti-farmer policies of the West Bengal government.

“I met the PM and President on behalf of SP and TC along with Banerjee and apprised them of how farmers in Singur and common man suffered due to failure of the state government and Tatas to honour an agreement brokered by West Bengal Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi on return of farmers’ land,” Singh said.

Banerjee and her party were not anti-industry but only wanted return cultivable land to farmers, as per the terms of the agreement signed between her and the state government.

Accusing the Tatas of ditching people of West Bengal, especially Singur, over their failure to honour the terms of the agreement and leaving the state for Gujarat, Singh wondered whether Ratan Tata wants to be industrialist or a politician.

“Ratan Tata spoke about Good M (Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi) and Bad M (Mamata Banerjee). On what basis did he make this comment. Mamata Banerjee only wanted the surplus land of farmers to be given back to them, while we all know how ‘good’ Modi is.

“We want Tata’s reply by this evening whether he wants to remain an industrialist or a politician,” Singh said.

The SP general secretary, who had last month shared the dais with Mamata when she was agitating in Singur against Tatas Nano Car project, had said at that time that “they (Tatas) have acquired 1,000 acres. Trinamool Congress has only asked them to return the excess land to farmers”.

Singh said that both PM and President gave them a patient hearing and promised to take action in the matter within the purview of Constitution.

Pointing out that the TC leader has always fought for the rights of farmers, the SP leader said she will also agitate in Noida for the rights of farmers there who have lost their lands because of SEZ projects.

“I have met and told Commerce Minister Kamal Nath and Finance Minister P Chidambaram that the government should review its SEZ policy, as this SEZ is more of a Social Exploitation Zone, which is affecting the farmers,” he said.

Banerjee who was also present alongside Singh told reporters that they have “requested the President and PM to take action under Article 355 in West Bengal over the failure of the state government to honour the agreement which was brokered by Governor.”

Attacking the Left Front government in West Bengal, Banerjee said, “the Left parties had withdrawn support to the UPA government over the nuclear deal while they themselves failed to honour salient features of the agreement they signed with us over returning excess land to farmers in Singur.”

She wondered why the state government did not think of investing in infrastructure during its three decade long rule in the state.

Banerjee also criticised Tatas who she said “have money to publicise against us and there seems to be some politics behind their exit from the state”. She further emphasised that she only wanted a fair deal for the farmers.