FBI list of “Most wanted” had 10 names. The day Osama bin Laden was assassinated in Abbottabad, a tag declaring him “deceased” was pasted on his photo and the list shrank to 9. India’s “most wanted” list has 50 names, all Muslims by name. The main list of CBI contains names of 550 wanted accused, but there is no provision to update it.
A list of 50 “most wanted terrorists”, handed over to Pakistan, was prepared by senior officials of MHA from the inputs provided by CBI, IB, NIA and other investigating agencies. Our Saffron-tinted officers in police and investigating agencies as well as their friends in media are relentless to make people believe these “most wanted” suspects are “enjoying safe haven in Pakistan.” One may doubt this claim only on the cost of his patriotic credentials.
To the great embarrassment, three of them have been traced under the very nose of CBI in India and one has already been officially declared killed. In spite of huge humiliation due to “errors” in the list, our officials are showing brave face and MHA has declared not to withdraw the list from Pakistan, though it has been withdrawn from CBI’s official website. CBI has also removed the original list of some 550 accused against whom Interpol Red Corner Notices have been obtained.
The controversial list of 50 ‘Most Wanted’ terrorists allegedly holed up in Pakistan was prepared in March last prior to Pakistan’s Interior Secretary Qamaruz Zaman’s visit to Delhi for bilateral talks with his Indian counterpart. On March 28, 2011, Union Home Secretary, G. K. Pillai, handed this list over to Mr. Zaman with the reminder that Pakistan should extradite these most wanted persons as an important Confidence Building Measure (CBC).
This was O.K. in line of Indian Establishment’s old-age strategy to “keep Pakistan under unrelenting pressure.”
India genuinely suspects Pakistan’s involvement in terror mongering in India and sheltering rouge element with their full blown “Bleed India” activities. But strategy to expose Pakistan on this count has gone beyond genuine limits and in almost every case IB, MEA and MHA, etc. raised their fingers accusing ISI and Pakistan’s terror group without any evidence. For example, ISI was blamed for Samjhauta Express blasts, though leads were indicating towards Indore and Saffron elements. Similarly, for Mecca Masjid, Malegaon, Ajmer Blasts HuJI and LeT were named and Sangh-related elements provided with cover.
Though our national motto is “Satyameva Jayate” (Truth Alone Triumphs), our policymakers and bureaucrats adopted a bad strategy of “Mithyameva Jayate” (only false allegation triumphs). We the proud followers of Gandhi, Buddha and Rama find solace in “Mithya” (al that is unfounded, not true) which is not morally prudent.
Instead of fighting common enemies like poverty, hunger, illness and illiteracy, etc., pushing our neighbour to the wall, becomes our most favourable policy icon against each other. Mainstream media and political fraternity on both sides have found it traditionally important and intellectual to poison the minds of the masses as a tool of their own sustenance and squandering their energies in blaming, suspecting and abusing each other.
After Osama Bin Laden assassination on May 2, the Government of India came under profound pressure from Saffron-tinted politicians, media and commentators to act strongly against “most wanted” accused supposedly hidden in Pakistan and replicate Abbottabad. Reportedly some high ranking army officers too, without taking into consideration the fallout of such a covert action, affirmed their capability and preparedness to act strongly if asked. The suggestion enormously increased the pressure on the leadership. To address the public obsession, the MHA on May 11 decided to make the list public.
The salvo boomerang as within hours the media pointed out errors in the list. One “most wanted” (Wazhul Kamar Khan) was found on bail, another (Feroze Khan) in jail. Both are in Bombay. Later it was found that another wanted person Sheikh Abdul Khwaja had been extradited from Bangladesh some two years back and has been lodged in Hyderabad Jail by CBI, while forth Shahid Bilal has been eliminated in Karachi probably by ISI.
This is horrifying that MHA, without properly checking the list, wants Pakistan to extradite people who are already in our custody. More embarrassing is the fact that CBI was in know about the status of these “most wanted”. Union Minister of Home Affairs has referred one of them in his press conference as dead. Yet callousness of the agency did not allow the names of these persons removed from original list of 550 wanted criminals and did not check their inclusion in 50s. In this way, the whole exercise has lost its steam and smashed our credibility as a responsible Nation.
Consider the rate of ‘accuracy’ of the information provided by our intelligence agencies and sense the futility of euphoria with which we declared our “preparedness” to go ahead and eliminate the “50” in Pakistan! One can ask, is India physically fit to carry out clandestine operations with accuracy demonstrated by America or Israel? Why we think important to make claims beyond our capability and expose our minds full of hatred and enmity but lacking of foresight and foresightedness. What a shame has been heaped upon the face of the Nation!
Many excuses are being forwarded for this incompetence. Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, who initially laughed off reports regarding Wazhul Kamar being in India under the watchful eyes of police and the judiciary, later admitted responsibility for the horrible goof-ups. He said India takes the responsibility for the “mistake.” He blamed a communication lapse between the CBI and Mumbai police.
A day after another most wanted was traced in Arthur jail, Mumbai, under Judicial Custody, Internal Security Secretary U.K. Bansal told reporters, “Error has been accepted. Responsibility will be fixed for the mistake.”
Humiliated by the blunders, the CBI withdrew the list two days from its website two days later. The list was prepared by the Home Ministry with inputs from investigating agencies like the National Investigation Agency, Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the CBI. But for the “lapse” a junior officer of CBI (an Inspector) was suspended and two others were transferred.
“CBI has conveyed to the Home Ministry that the lapse was on the agency’s part. When CBI forwarded the list to MHA, they forgot to delete the name of this person (Wazhul),” a Home Ministry spokesperson said.
“We are examining the matter and strict action will be initiated against erring officials,” CBI spokesperson Dharini Mishra said.
Can these exercises of eyewash and damage control cover the huge embarrassment? This is not the first time when apathetic attitude of IB officials and non-competence of other agencies has been exposed. IB had definite inputs before 9/11 and had a list of sim cards used by Mumbai attackers, but no action was taken in time to save the country. However, we believe that fault does not lie with persons but in practices, procedures and preferences.
In the meanwhile, the Home Ministry has directed the CBI, the IB and the NIA to thoroughly verify the list of most wanted 50 persons given to Pakistan in coordination with the State and UT Governments.
It was indicated that after corrections a new list may be sent to Pakistan. But officials declined possibility of withdrawing the faulty list from Pakistan. However an official reportedly said, “Pakistan would be informed about persons whose names had erroneously been included.” It has not yet been done even after two weeks. The list is still under scrutiny (Friday, 27th May) and Pakistan has rejected it.
A report from Islamabad on Thursday (Head Lines Today) suggested, “The Pakistan government is set to reject New Delhi’s list of 50 most wanted men.” Quoting Pakistani media HLT reported that, “In a letter addressed to its foreign office, Pakistan’s interior ministry said India should first probe if the people named in the list have been living in that country.”
The interior ministry has directed its foreign office to send the list back to India for authentication. The list would soon be handed over to the Indian high commissioner in Pakistan.
The fugitive found in India:
Wazhul Kamar Khan was implicated in 2003 Mulund Train Blast case as a foot soldier. He was also named in the Vile-Parle and Ghatkopar blasts besides the 2002 Mumbai Central station blasts. The Vile Parle, Mulund and Ghatkopar cases have been clubbed together and the trial is yet to begin.
Khan, a resident of U.P., remained in the country all the time. Unaware of his “Most Wanted” status in CBI records, he has been doing his small business of Zari in Thane, a suburb of Mumbai. Police confirmed that Khan has been living in Thane’s Waghle Estate with his mother, wife and other family members and attending court to get his name cleared.
On May 21, 2010, Khan was arrested by Maharashtra ATS. Later Crime Branch and CBI also officially arrested him in other cases. His release on bail by the courts within two months of his multiple arrests, shows the “gravity” of charges and evidence collected by police against a “most wanted” terrorist in last eight years.
Feroze Abdul Rashid Khan alias Ferozuddin alias Hamza (51) has been discovered in Arthur Road jail, where he has been locked up since February 2010. “We have an inmate called Feroze Khan in the Arthur Road jail,” confirmed inspector-general of prisons Surendra Kumar.
Feroze, an accused in 1993 Mumbai blast case, was arrested from a village in Navi Mumbai by local police and was handed over to CBI, who had secured his Interpol Red Corner Notice in 1994. Even after over 14 months of his arrest the Interpol notice and his name from the list were not withdrawn.
Khan is alleged to have facilitated transport and distribution of arms and ammunitions during the blast and subsequently Mumbai police had alleged that following Dawood Ibrahim’s instructions, Khan arranged landing of arms allegedly used in the blast. He is waiting for his trial even after 18 years of the crime.
Abdul Shahed, alias Bilal alias Shahed Bilal’s name has been a cause of acute embarrassment to the Indian investigating agencies for a long time. He had gone absconding from Hyderabad in 2004 after the police accused him of being involved in a conspiracy to kill a local BJP leader.
He was also named as a suspect by Hyderabad police in Mecca Masjid bomb blast in May 2007, which was later found a crime of Saffron terror groups. At one stage even the Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said that no progress was possible in the Mecca Masjid blast case as the key suspect Shahed Bilal was killed in Pakistan.
According to the Hyderabad police, Shahed Bilal and his brother Abdul Samad were killed by unknown gunmen in Karachi in December 2007. They said that he might have been eliminated by the ISI as Shahed’s presence in Pakistan had become a problem for them. Shahed’s family also confirmed that the two brothers died in Pakistan.
Whatever be the reason, even four years after his death, Shahed continues to be part of the most wanted list of the CBI.
Syed Abdul Khwaja, alias Mohammed Amjad, was arrested about two years ago and is lodged in the Charalapally jail in Hyderabad. Khwaja was a close friend and associate of Shahed Bilal. Police say that after the death of Shahed, Khwaja had filled his position as the south India commander of HuJI. He was arrested about two years ago and was lodged in Hyderabad jail. But now it transpires that the CBI was not aware of his arrest and the agency was continuing to look for him.
Both Shahed Bilal and Khwaja figure in the list of accused in the 2005 suicide bomb blast in the Hyderabad police Task Force Office in Begumpet.
In another instance, the name of Raj Kumar Meghen, a United National Liberation Front leader, figures in the list of 550. He is now in the custody of the National Investigation Agency. His name continued to figure on the Interpol watch list for terrorism, use of explosives and organised crime.
[syyedagha@hotmail.com]