Tattooing and HIV: Study in AP

By U Sudhakar Reddy
Tattooing in men has been identified as one of the risky behaviours associated with the spread of HIV.
A study conducted in the state by the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences in association with the George Institute of International Health Studies (GIIHS) found that tattooing and male non-circumcision are risky behaviours among HIV infected males, apart from homosexuality, multiple sex partners and blood transfusion.
Commenting on the findings, the AP State Aids Control Society director, Mr R.V. Chandravadan, said, “using the same needles (for tattooing) is risky. We are not sure if HIV is spread by tattooing and we cannot rule out the possibility of infection. Sterilised needles have to be used for tattooing.” Regarding non-circumcision, he said, studies showed that circumcision can reduce the spread of HIV infection. “However the attendant conse quences associated with circumcision have to be studied,” he said. “It has a socio-religious implication.” The study, titled ’Risk factors associated with HIV in a population-based study in Andhra Pradesh’ was headed by Lalit and Rakhi Dandona of George Institute of International Health. The study found that among men, there was significant association between HIV and history of sex with other men, sex workers or multiple women partners, consuming alcohol before sex, recreational drug use, male non-circumcision and tattooing.
“The highest impact of reducing the HIV number per unit population was for male circumcision in Guntur,” said the study.
Among women, the study said, “the only identified behavioural factor associated with HIV was multiple male sex partners.” The researchers interviewed a population-based sample of 12,617 persons aged 15 to 49 years from 66 rural and urban clusters in Guntur district.
(Photo courtesy: howstuff works)

Lumbini and Gokul Chat blasts: Indian Mujahideen's Riyaz planted bombs

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

Riyaz Bhatkal of the Indian Mujahideen had planted bombs at Gokul Chat and Lumbini Park on August 25 last year in the city, according to a terror suspect.
Police sources said the Mohammad Sadiq Sheikh, who was arrested from Mumbai on September 23 confessed to a city police team that Bhatkal who was behind the Hyderabad twin blasts.
Bhatkal alias Roshan Khan is still absconding and he is suspected to have underworld links with Mumbai.
A senior police official said, “Sadiq said that Riyaz Bhatkal told him before the twin explosions, ‘Hyderabad me kuch karne ka hi (we will have to do something in Hyderabad)’. After twin explosion Riyaz told him: ‘Hyderabad me kaam hogai (the work is done)’.”
The terror suspect Riyaz Bhatkal, who is alleged to have planted the bombs at Gokul Chat and Lumbini Park on August 25 last year came to the city after the May 18 Macca Masjid blast.
City and state police teams are now in Mumbai grilling terror accused, Mohammad Sadiq Sheikh, who had revealed that Bhatkal placed the bombs in the city.
“The handler of Indian Mujahideen module is Amir Raza Khan of Lashkar-e-Tayyaba. Sadiq has also been trained in pakistan. Riyaz Bhatkal is native of Karnataka. After interrogation, it is emerging that Karnataka is the hub of these terror modules,” said the investigating officer.
Riyaz Bhatkal is the key operative involved in handling the explosive materials and the Hyderabad twin explosion are suspected to be a revenge act, he was suspecting that Mecca Masjid blast was the handiwork of some anti Muslim forces.

(Exclusive. The story first broke by Deccan Chronicle on September 30th 2008)

Witchcraft kills 44 in Andhra in a year

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

As many as 44 people were killed in connection with witchcraft and sorcery rites in the last one year.
Karimnagar, Nalgonda and Medak districts witnessed the most number of black magic murders according to the state crime records bureau.
In all, 211 cases were registered in connection with witchcraft in 2007 as against 182 in 2006 and 161 in 2005. Karimnagar topped the list with 41 cases in which eight persons were killed followed by Nalgonda, Medak, Warangal, Nizamabad and Adilabad.
In Medak district, an elderly couple who was accused of practising black magic was tied together and set ablaze.
Similarly, seven persons were killed in Adilabad, six in Nizamabad, and five each in Medak and Warangal over sorcery and witchcraft allegations.
Violent incidents linked to witchcraft were also reported from Visakhapatnam rural, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam. Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra districts (except for north Andhra) are relatively free of the menace of black magic rites.
“In many places, people suspected to be practicing black magic are tied to trees and beaten up,” said the Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), Mr A.K. Khan. “They are known as banamati or chetabadi.” In some instances, mobs have plucked the teeth of those who were branded as sorcerers. There have also been cases of mobs lynching alleged sorcerers.
“We are taking out awareness campaign in several districts against such superstitions,”said Mr Khan. “In many cases, it is an individual or a family versus the entire village. We should increase the scientific temperament of people to fight this menace.” Social activists and police blame movies and TV programmes for giving added strength to the superstitious beliefs of people.
“There shall be reasonable restrictions on films and programmes promoting black magic and witchcraft,” said the ADGP.
The AP Praja Natya Mandali has also asked the government to discourage TV serials were encouraging beliefs in sorcery

AP Police track hawala- terror link

By U Sudhakar Reddy

Police is trying to trace the hawala network through which terror operatives get funds from their handlers abroad.
The anti-terror agency of the state, Octopus, has got alerts from Mumbai and Delhi on the hawala connection of the Indian Mujahideen.
“We have noticed huge fund transfers to some suspects and their families from Saudi Arabia, UAE and the United Kingdom,” said a senior intelligence official.
“We are verifying them,” the official added.
He added that police was also checking the funding mechanism of organisations based in the Old City.
“We are checking fund transfers to organisations such as Darsgah Jihad O Shadhat, Therek Thafuz Shere-E-Islam, Saleem Mujahid Trust, other trusts, madrasas, and minority educational institution,” he said.
Investigations in Delhi had revealed that Indian Mujahideen terrorists had links with Dubai based hawala operators.
“Hyderabad was the hub of hundi business for years,” said the intelligence official.
“Several city youth based in Gulf countries are involved in hawala operations.” “Terrorists using hawala route for funds is nothing new,” said the commissioner of police, Mr B. Prasada Rao.

Bear attacks in Andhra Forests

By U Sudhakar Reddy

Wild animal attacks, particularly by the sloth bear, on humans are on the rise in the state.
Tribals, who venture into the deep forest to collect minor produce, are the victims in most cases. As many as 18 persons have died in the state. According to assistant conservator of forests (wildlife) Mr B. Vara Prasad, last year 15 deaths were reported in the state which included 11 elephant-related and four in sloth bear attack related cases.
In 2008, there have been three cases of fatal sloth bear attacks. Most of the attacks are reported from Nallamala forest. The state government has been sitting on the proposal to increase the compensation package to the victims.
The government had decided on a compensation package of Rs 1 lakh for the family of the deceased and Rs 20,000 for permanently disabled.
In case of minor injuries the hospital expenses are paid as per the GO that was issued 10 years ago. In 2007, the forest department proposed the state government to increase the compensation to the victims family from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh and for permanent disabled from Rs 20,000 to Rs 70,000. Karnataka is paying Rs 1.5 lakh and Maharashtra is paying Rs 2 lakh for it

SIT awaits SIMI's Nagori's questioning

By U Sudhakar Reddy

Student Islamic Movement of India leaders Safdar Nagori, Qaumruddin Nagori and Adnan will be brought to the city by Special Investigation Team for questioning.
The Special Investigation Team has decided to file petitions for prisoner transit warrant to arrest the accused in the Hyderabad conspiracy case.
Safdar Nagori, Quamruddin Nagori and Adnan were named accused in the case registered by the Gopalapuram police station.
Police says the trio came to the city thrice and met Moulana Abdul Aleem Islahi and Mufti Abu Basher and participated in several secret meetings.
They will be questioned about the twin explosions as well as the Simi network in the city.
“We want to bring Raziuddin Naser and Simi leaders together for the interrogation,” said an investigating officer.
The other accused in the Hyderabad conspiracy case, Muhatasim Billah, and Mohammed Muqeemuddin alias Yaser confessed that Nagori and Adnan came to the city along with Abdus Subhan alias Tauqeer.
Mohammed Baleequiddin alias Jaber, son of Moulana Naseeruddin, also told the police that he and his brother took part in the meeting held by the Nagori’s and Toukheer in which ways to spread jihadi activities were discussed.
In 2005, Adnan came to the city again along with the Nagoris and met Aleem Islahi and Mufti Abu Basher.
They spoke about a meeting at Ujjain and about the floating of a new organisation suspected to be the Indian Mujahideen

Ghori's IMMM inspired Indian Mujahideen formation?

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy
Anti-terror experts have claimed that the Indian Mujahideen was formed with the inspiration of AP’s Jihadi leader Azam Ghori’s Indian Muslim Mohammedi Mujahideen (IMMM).
Ghori, who was allegedly trained by the Taliban in Afghanistan, was killed in an encounter in 2000 at Jagityal in Karimnagar.
The IMMM was responsible for several blasts in the state at the behest of the Laskhar-E-Tayyaba (LeT). A senior police officer said, “We strongly suspect that hardcore activists of Simi, who floated the IM, were inspired by the IMMM.
The group was involved in four murders and exploding bombs in three cinema halls at Begumpet, Nizamabad and Karimnagar in 2000.” He added, “Ghori closely worked with another terror operative Abu Hamza. Ghori, who served the Peoples War Group, was injured in an encounter and took shelter in Saudi Arabia. He was recruited by the LeT and trained in Afghanistan.” In an earlier case, 16 IMMM operatives were convicted in a conspiracy case and sentenced to life for murdering businessman Mahaveer Prasad Modi in the city.
Meanwhile, Raziuddin Naser, son of Moulana Naseeruddin, the former chief of TTSEI, had confessed that he opted to fight US soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. According to sources in the police headquarters, Naser’s offer was rejected by his handlers in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.
A police officer said, “Naser, who went to Saudi Arabia, left for Pakistan and received training in bomb making along with DJS chief Mehboob Ali’s grandson Najiullah. He came here in June 2007 and after the twin explosions fled to Hubli.” A city police officer probing the twin blasts said, “Naser was arrested in Hubli by Honnali police. Now the investigations are leading to Hubli and Udupi in Karnataka where the bombs were prepared. Now we have to verify all these links.”

Bio Piracy hits Andhra Forests

By U Sudhakar Reddy
Reports of steal ing medicinal plants are on rise in the state.
This has prompted the AP Bio-diversity Board to crack the whip against companies and foreigners. Recently, the Vishakapatnam task force sleuths caught a few tribals from Paderu who were trying to smuggle Nalla pasupu (black turmeric). The plant is used in HIV/AIDS drug research. Board chairman Dr R. Hampaiah said, “Nalla pasupu is found at Papikonda hills in East & West Godavari districts and at Paderu in Vishakapatnam.
It is in the endangered species list. In the International market, a kilogram of the Nalla pasupu costs Rs 20 lakh. The buyers were paying Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 to the tribals for each kg. A retired forester is allegedly helping them.” The plant has been sent for chemical examination, he added. The board is organising a national seminar at Dulapally on August 23 on bio-piracy.

Terror mails traced to Saudi Arabia

By U Sudhakar Reddy
Terror emails sent to local television channels in the city were traced to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, the police said.
Hoax calls on bomb threats were traced to the United Arab Emirates.
A senior city police officer said, “An email that was sent to a television channel threatening bomb blasts in Telangana districts was from Saudi Arabia. One of the calls was even traced to Fujairah in the Emirates.” Police said the aim of the callers was to create panic in the city.
“For all these years, the hoax calls were from the city. Now they have crossed international borders. Terror elements based in Saudi Arabia may have made the calls,” an official told this correspondent.

9/11 at Nagarjuna Sagar Dam feared

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

Security agencies are not too happy with the proposal to allow an aviation academy to come up near the Nagarjunasagar reservoir.
They feel that terrorists could replicate a September 11 model attack on the dam by making use of trainer aircraft.
Since the training flights are small, there is not much possibility of a major impact, but intelligence agencies are still concerned and expressed their fears when the state government sought their feedback on the proposed aviation academy.
The dam is already on the hit list of the Lashakar-eTayyaba and its security is a big concern.
In a meeting attended by the home minister, Mr K. Jana Reddy, the minister for irrigation, Mr P. Lakshmaiah, and the intelligence department head, Mr K. Aravinda Rao, on Monday discussed FlyTech Aviation Academy’s request for leasing out 90 acres of land near the airstrip at Nagarjunasagar.
Captain Mamata and Captain Gopal of the Academy also took part in the meeting. The airstrip was laid when Jawaharlal Nehru flew down for the inauguration of the dam.
Sources said the possibility of terrorists misusing the facility was also being discussed. “No decision has been taken yet,” said the source.
“The proposal will be referred to Director-General of Civil Aviation authorities.” “In the United States, terrorists enrolled in the flying academy and later hijacked flights to hit the twin towers of the World Trade Centre,” said a senior police officer. “We can’t ignore that possibility.” However, other police offiers dismissed the fears as unfounded.
In December 2004 an aircraft owned by DGCA and operated by AP Aviation Academy crash landed on the airstrip after minutes of flight.
Earlier, the government proposed to hand over the site situated 6 km from Nagarjunasagar dam to the tourism department to develop the third century Buddhist site and make it part of the pilgrim circuit.
FlyTech Aviation Academy has asked for the site as their flying zone was reduced after the Shamshabad International Airport became operational. The academy is situated on Nagarjunasagar Road.

Polio(P3 strain) again in Andhra Pradesh

By U Sudhakar Reddy

Migrant labour from UP and Bihar travelling to the state are seen as potential carriers of the polio virus, that struck in the state on Friday.
Also, locals from Mahbubnagar and Ranga Reddy migrating to Mumbai and Pune could be bringing back the virus.
Thanks to these groups, the wild polio virus of P3 strain though termed as weak has resurfaced in the state, particularly in urban areas. The P3 strain was first reported in Bihar in 2003 and has since spread to southern states. Bihar has reported over 1,300 cases of polio this year.
The family welfare commissioner, Mr Anil Punetha, said, that migrants do not vaccinate their newborns. “Due to lack of awareness they don’t approach health workers,” he said Health officials of the health department have decided to go for a subnational immunisation programme.
Mr Punetha agreed that in isolated cases, immunised children are also affected by the virus, as happened in Kakinada on Friday. “We will analyse the P3 strain,” he said.

Gautam Express Fire Mishap: DNA tests for identification

By U Sudhakar Reddy

Families of those who perished in the Gautami Express fire tragedy will have to wait at least a week to perform their last rites.
The skeletal remains will be handed over to the kin of the deceased only after skull superimposition and DNA tests.
Forensic experts from APFSL are not hopeful that the tests will be of much help in identifying all the bodies since they were charred beyond recognition. DNA can be extracted only from four or five bodies.
The experts will try to identify the bodies based on belongings such as gold jewellery and other articles.
In all, 29 charred bodies were found in S-10 coach and two persons died in the hospital. Unidentified bodies have been kept at MGM Hospital in Warangal .
Forensic experts have segregated the remains berthwise based on details such as sex, age and berth number in the reservation chart.
Doctors who conducted autopsy on the skeletal remains also segregated them into male and female based on the shape of the pelvis. Out of 18 bodies nine were identified as female, seven as male and two as children.
“DNA fingerprinting tests will take a week,” said Mr O.N. Murthy, director of the AP Forensic Science Laboratory. The Railway Superintendent of Police, Mr A. Ravichandra, said the remains could be handed over to relatives only after identification. “Otherwise it will lead to a controversy,” he said. Two passengers, Ms G Bhagyalaskhmi, 39, and Ms B. Sarita, 28, were identified and their bodies were handed over to relatives after autopsy.
Meanwhile, the SCR paid an initial ex gratia of Rs 15,000 to relatives of the deceased who have been identified, Rs 5,000 to the grievously injured and Rs 500 to those with simple injuries. Kazipet Railway Deputy Superintendent of Police Mr K Krishna Prasad is the officer in charge of identification and disposal of the bodies. He can be reached at 9440627512 and Inspector Shravan Kumar at 9440627517. Compensation will be made available through railway claims tribunal and special cell which monitors this can be reached at 040-27821923 and 040-27786296.

IP spoofing by Indian Mujahideen Terrorists

By U Sudhakar Reddy

Terrorists are spoofing Internet Protocol addresses to mask their true identity and to befuddle the police.
Pranksters and eve-teasers are also resorting to spoofing of IP address as well as email.
Police find it very difficult to crack such cases. For instance, Cyber Crime cops believe that the Indian Mujahideen mail, which landed after the recent blasts in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad may have been sent from a spoofed IP address.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr B. Prasada Rao, asked the public to be cautious about such mischief by cyber criminals.
“IP spoofing is one form of online camouflage,” said a cyber forensic expert. “An attacker gains unauthorised access to a computer or a network and sends the message by spoofing the IP address of that machine. It is like impersonation.” Sleuths have noted that fired employees, rivals, pranksters, hackers and junk mailers mostly use the spoof technique.
A senior police officer said that terrorists were using the new method since sleuths had traced them when they used internet cafes for chatting and mailing.
“Now they are spoofing IP address in addition to email spoofing to mislead the police,” he said.
Experts say IP spoofing attacks can be limited through network filtering at the router. Encryption and authentication will also reduce spoofing threats.
“In email spoofing falsified headers are used to mislead the recipient on the origin of message,” said an expert.
“This is mostly done by spammers. Sometimes users receive undelivered messages which they had never sent. This shows that the email was spoofed and a message was sent to others,” the expert said.

Maoists dream government: Women's Utopia

By U Sudhakar Reddy

Documents seized by intelligence sleuths reveal that Maoists are aiming to convert areas under their control into a women’s utopia of sorts.
According to the Maoists, their ‘government’ will set up laundries, crèches and kitchens for the public to liberate women from the chains of domestic toil and to ensure their participation in social production.
The left wing extremists have also decided to rehabilitate sex workers and ensure them social respect.
Some of these concepts have already been implemented in the Dandakaranya forests of Chhattisgarh where the Maoists are running a parallel government.
“The Maoist government will put end to discrimination against women and will strive to end male domination and patriarchy,” says the document.
“It is an idealistic society according to the documents,” said a police officer involved in antiMaoist operations.
“They have been implementing prohibition and social farming in villages they control.” Maoists are also aiming to confiscate banks, business enterprises and companies of “imperialist capital”. They will confiscate land belonging to landlords and religious institutions and redistribute it among the landless poor.
Maoists term their promised land “Voluntary Union of Peoples Democratic Federal Republics of India”.
In the 'voluntary Union of Peoples Democratic Federal Republics of India' of Maoists the marriages shall be on the basis of mutual love and agreement. The age limit for marriage would be 20 years and all child marriages are banned.
"Widow marriages will be encouraged and women shall have a right to abortion. Divorces are granted if both husband and wife wish and if only one them asks for the Maoist state makes investigation and announce the decision, In cases of children men must take two third parts and women one third part of the responsibility. It is the responsibility of men to repay the loans after marriage," says the document.
Peoples governments are formed at district and village levels.
Maoist have also decided to set up museums with the belongings of the martyrs and special care to be taken to the families of those who laid down their lives in red revolution. The documents also speak about the election and structure of the government.

AP: Thermal power plant and SEZs a threat to Bioheritage sites

By U Sudhakar Reddy

Biological her itage sites in the state are facing serious threats because of the upcoming Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and thermal power plants.
Wildlife experts are concerned about the deathblow to the bird preservation sites in the state due to the units.
Sites such as the Naupada swamp, Telineelapuram in Srikakulam, Veerapuram in Anantapur, which are home to pelicans, Kondakarla Ava in Visakhapatnam abode of grey lapping, marsh fin foot, Uppalapadu in Guntur, which is a habitat for migratory birds are likely to be affected.
A thermal power plant at Naupada swamp is seen as biggest threat to the local ecology. Ornithologist Mr K. Mrityenjaya Rao said, “Naupada swamp is the largest in the state. At least 120 species of migratory birds come here. I wrote to the government regarding the ill effects of the plant,” He added, “Naupada swamp is a passage route for migratory birds from Central Asia, East Europe, Himalayas to South India. Pelicans, painted storks, white necked storks, Sarus crane are also frequent visitors.”

The proposed 1,300 MW thermal plant at Polatitippa in the vicinity of Machilipatnam port in Krishna district would be posting threat to Krishna estuary.
The AP Bio Diversity Board also took up the issue of Veerapuram pelican site in Anantapur district as it violated the bio diversity Act. An official of the AP Forest Department said, “The bird site is more than 70-years-old. Villagers have sent petitions to the government. The board had also written to the government.” “Due to the industries in the SEZs, pollution increas es. The surrounding water bodies get contaminated,” said the official.
In Visakhapatnam, Kondakarla Ava, which is a habitat of rare migratory bird and the catchment area of this will be affected due to the proposed economic zone. An SEZ is proposed in Mangalagiri mandal in Guntur district where Uppalapadu bird sanctuary is situated.
Forest officials, wildlife experts and bird watchers have asked the state to conduct environmental assessment before they go ahead with the SEZs.

Did Azam Ghori's IMMM inspired Indian Mujahideen?

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

1. Anti-terror experts have claimed that the Indian Mujahideen was formed with the inspiration of AP’s Jihadi leader Azam Ghori’s Indian Muslim Mohammedi Mujahideen (IMMM).
2. Raziuddin Nasir

Ghori, who was allegedly trained by the Taliban in Afghanistan, was killed in an encounter in 2000 at Jagityal in Karimnagar.
The IMMM was responsible for several blasts in the state at the behest of the Laskhar-E-Tayyaba (LeT). A senior police officer said, “We strongly suspect that hardcore activists of Simi, who floated the IM, were inspired by the IMMM.
The group was involved in four murders and exploding bombs in three cinema halls at Begumpet, Nizamabad and Karimnagar in 2000.” He added, “Ghori closely worked with another terror operative Abu Hamza. Ghori, who served the Peoples War Group, was injured in an encounter and took shelter in Saudi Arabia. He was recruited by the LeT and trained in Afghanistan.” In an earlier case, 16 IMMM operatives were convicted in a conspiracy case and sentenced to life for murdering businessman Mahaveer Prasad Modi in the city.
Meanwhile, Raziuddin Naser, son of Moulana Naseeruddin, the former chief of TTSEI, had confessed that he opted to fight US soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. According to sources in the police headquarters, Naser’s offer was rejected by his handlers in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.
A police officer said, “Naser, who went to Saudi Arabia, left for Pakistan and received training in bomb making along with DJS chief Mehboob Ali’s grandson Najiullah. He came here in June 2007 and after the twin explosions fled to Hubli.” A city police officer probing the twin blasts said, “Naser was arrested in Hubli by Honnali police. Now the investigations are leading to Hubli and Udupi in Karnataka where the bombs were prepared. Now we have to verify all these links.”

Ahmedabad bombs camouflaged as Ghee products

Ahmedabad Bomb Bangalore flower pot bomb

By U Sudhakar Reddy

The boat-shaped bombs used to trigger blasts in Ahmedabad were packed in cartons of milk and ghee products to escape detection.
Ammonium nitrate mixed with emulsifier (slurry) resembles ghee and cheese, and this helped terrorists to use cartons of a private dairy in Gujarat to pack them.
“They kept them in the cartons to claim that they were ghee and cheese in case they were checked,” said a senior police officer working with anti terror unit said. “It was a major deception.” Terror suspects in Surat, who had used two stolen Wagon R cars, had hidden the bomb under cloth bundles.
“In this instance, they were pretending to be cloth merchants,” said the police officer. “Anyone who peeps into car will think that they are cloth bundles. This is all done to avoid checking at the police posts.
Police officers who visited Gujarat also found that one of the unexploded bombs had been wrapped in an English newspaper dated May 21.
Earlier, they found another bomb wrapped in a Gujarati newspaper of May 17, the day before the first anniversary of Mecca Masjid blasts.
“This makes it clear that the terror operatives prepared the bombs in May itself for use in Ahmedabad,” said the cop.
Meanwhile, sleuths are analysing the e-prom chips used in Bengaluru and Surat bombs.
Police confirmed that the bombs used in Hyderabad twin explosions, Ahmedabad and Surat are similar.
In AP the terrorists had wrapped the bombs as gift packets

Two incidents changed face of terror in South India

By U Sudhakar Reddy

Terror recruiters are using the death of Mohammed Mujahid Saleem of Saidabad in a police firing in front of DGP’s office and the arrest of Tehrek Thafuz Shaer-EIslam president Moulana Naseeruddin by Gujarat cops to rope in city youth for their cause.
These two incidents have changed the face of terror in South India and acted as catalysts for the youth to join terror modules, according to the police.
Seditious CDs seized by police and confessions made by the accused in terror related cases have made it clear that propaganda on these two issues was affect ing many youth and turning them into terror operatives.
Muqeemuddin Yasir, son of Moulana Naseeruddin, who was arrested on July 15 in 2008, also told the police that it was the killing of Saleem that provoked him.
Yasir, an MBA dropout, is now lodged in city jail. Karnataka police is likely to question him to get leads on Bengaluru blasts, sources said.
“After Babri Masjid demolition and Gujarat riots it was the killing of Saleem that has provoked many youth in the city to join terror network,” said a senior police officer. He added that Raziuddin Nasir, another son of Naseeruddin, and Naziullah, grandson of Darsgah Jihad-O-Shahadat chief Mehboob Ali, went to Pakistan for training angered by the killing.
Naseeruddin was arrested in 2004 in connection with the murder of Gujarat former Home Minister, Mr Haren Pandya.
When the Gujarat police came to city to execute the non bailable warrant of Naseeruddin, SIMI activists lead by Saleem, his brother Mohatsim Billah, Raziuddin Nasir, and Mohammed Rayeesuddin attacked them.
The cops then opened fire and Saleem succumbed to bullet injuries. During the funeral procession of Saleem, mourners attacked police by pelting stones.
They also damaged vehicles in Saidabad. Police said several youth took oath on the body of Saleem to avenge his killing. SIMI leaders including Safdar Nagori and Toukheer also visited the city. “Following the death of his brother Saleem, Billah intensified his activities,” said a police officer.
“He is out on bail now. Adnan of Karnataka visited Hyderabad often and he distributed seditious magazines to these youth.” During the Task Force suicide bombing in 2005 too police found material protesting the arrest of Naseeruddin and terming Saleem a ‘martyr’.
A trust was also started in the name Saleem at Pahadi Shareef. “Motives will change from time to time,” said the Commissioner of Police, Mr B. Prasada Rao.
“The nuclear deal with the US could also be a reason.”

AP Detonator used in Bangalore blasts

By U Sudhakar Reddy

Hyderabad, July 27: The bombs which exploded in Bengaluru on Friday have ‘AP’ marked on them. Anti-terror experts of the State, who visited the IT city on Saturday, said the detonators used in the unexploded bomb in Bengaluru were manufactured in the AP Explosives Limited of Hyderabad.
“APEL detonators are available in many places since the company has a distribution network across the country,” said a police officer. “So we can’t say for sure they were purchased here.” Forensic experts said the attackers used cement moulds resembling flower pots so that the bombs could not be easily identified. “But the use of cement moulds decreased the impact,” said the expert.
Dry Ammonium Nitrate powder was mixed with diesel, unlike the mix of slurry, Ammonium Nitrate and emulsifier used in the twin blasts in Hyderabad in 2007.
In the Mecca Masjid blast an iron container with grooves was used. And unlike in AP, where clocks and mobile phones were used to trigger the bombs, an electronic circuit chip was used as special timer in Bengaluru. Experts are analysing the chip.

Indian Mujahideen threat to Hyderabad police

By U Sudhakar Reddy
Hyderabad, July 27: The terror email sent by ‘Indian Mujahi-deen’ minutes before Saturday’s blasts at Ahmedabad holds a detailed threat to AP. “We warn the Andhra Pradesh government, specifically the Hydera-bad Police, to release the imprisoned Muslim youth immediately, and to be wise with yourselves (sic),” the email read. “We are watching you, and our ground-work to gun you down has already begun. We will be rid of you very soon.”
“We hereby notify you, especially the ATS and the STF and the governments of Madhya Pra-desh and Andhra Pra-desh, to release them all, lest you become our next targets and victims of our next attack,” it said. It warned the states, including AP to “stop harassing Muslims and keep a check on their killing, expulsion and encounters. We warn you of your foolish plots that you plan against us, thinking that you can curb our missions and foil our targets.”
“Wait for the Mujahi-deen and Fidayeen of Islam and stop them if you can. Who will make you feel the terror of Jihad. This is only a opening launch, a beginning,” it said. Police conducted a high-level review meeting on Sunday with officials from the Counter Intelligence, Octopus, City and Cyberabad commissionerates. The city police commissioner, Mr B. Prasada Rao, said, “We are analysing the e-mail. We will take appropriate steps to prevent any incident

Twin bombs of city identical with Gujarat bombs

By U Sudhakar Reddy
Hyderabad, July 27: Bombs defused in Ahmedabad and Surat are identical to those that went off at Lumbini Park and Gokul Chat in the city and that defused at Dilshuknagar foot overbridge in August last year.
Anti terror police sleuths of the State who are in touch with their counterparts said curved wooden crates are used to hold the explosive charge in all these cases.
Mr T Suresh a forensic expert of city police who was part of the team that defused the bomb in August 2007 said, "the wooden crate bomb is to hold shaped charge. It works like a directional mine. During explosion the sharpnels will be distribute in all directions. Ammonium nitrate gel with emulsifier is stuffed in the thin aluminium cover and then placed in wooden crate."
Around 1.5 kg of explosive material and 1400 grams of ball bearings are used in the bomb. A nine volt battery was also found in it.
A senior official of State police said, "the wooden crate bombs are similar in twin explosions in the city and that in Surat and Ahmedabad. In the city they are wrapped as gift packets but now they are placed in polythene bags." In Surat a bomb in wooden crate was found at Nupur hospital.
Bengaluru blasts programmed on computer
Regarding Bengaluru blasts the experts say, "the circuit used in the Bengaluru blasts itself acts as a timer. Computer experts may have taken part in the operation as they have to programme these circuit chips. Even in Mumbai train blasts similar chips were used."
Indian Mujahideen warns AP too
'Indian Mujahideen warned State government and Hyderabad police of serious attacks if Muslim youth are arrested in the name of Simi.
Police said the email of Indian Mujahideen before Ahmedabad blast mentioned about AP and Hyderabad.
Earlier email of Indian Mujahideen after Jaipur blast too mentioned the torture of Muslim youth in the city and warned of actions.
Police said, "the latest e mail warns of more attacks in AP and Madhya Pradesh if SIMI activists are arrested."

Maoist attack: Watery Grave for Greyhounds

Autopsy report says only five died of bullets

By U Sudhakar Reddy

Only five out of 24 Greyhound personnel died of bullet injuries sustained during last Sunday’s attack by Maoists at the Balimela reservoir in Orissa, according to autopsy reports.
The other 19 personnel drowned in water. Forensic doctors found that these bodies had water-logged lungs. There were no bullet injuries on their bodies.
Post-mortem tests are still to be done on the bodies 13 other Greyhounds killed in the attack.
An Intelligence official said that the personnel drowned either because they did not know to swim or because they were trapped in the launch which sank within minutes.
The senior forensic medicine expert, Dr K Narayana Reddy, said, “They may have been trapped in the cabin while taking cover. It takes two to four minutes for death by drowning to occur.” The government meanwhile has still not appointed an inquiry into the inci dent. The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, had last Monday announced that a probe will be conducted by a senior police officer.
The Special Intelligence Branch and the state police headquarters in their internal inquiries have found “negligence” of the illfated Greyhounds party and “lack of communication” between Vizag district police officials and the state police.
Information about the Greyhounds operation was not communicated to the top officials both at Visakhapatnam and at the state police headquarters.
“The enquiry will basically look into whether the Greyhounds group commandant, Mr Vineet Brijlal, and the Vishakapatnam SP, Mr Akun Sabharwal, passed on information about the Greyhounds operation to senior officials.” “The Chief Minister is away in the Maldives. The inquiry may be appointed after he returns,” an Intelligence official told this correspondent

Maoist Liberation Zone in Chattisgarh-Orissa-AOB

By U Sudhakar Reddy

Maoists have formed a liberation corridor from Dandakaranya in Chhattisgarh to Orissa via the border with Andhra Pradesh.
Intelligence sources said the Balimela reservoir attack on Greyhounds by the Andhra-Orissa border military company of CPI(Maoist) could be seen as an attempt to indicate their control over this corridor.
Sources added Maoists may step up their activities in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam rural and East Godavari to further fortify the liberation corridor. Maoists had earlier mooted an audacious plan to form a red corridor from Pasupati in Nepal to Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh.
However, the idea was temporarily shelved after they were beaten back in Nallamala, North Telangana and other parts of the state.
“The decision to form the liberation corridor was taken in the national meet of the Maoists,” said a senior officer. “They want to strengthen it and then restart efforts on red corridor.” Nuapada in Orissa holds the key to the development of the corridor since the dense forest and hilly terrain is conducive for safe movement of the left wing extremists. Police said 100 Maoists had been drawn from Chhattisgarh, 100 from AP and a few from Orissa to set up two companies to operate in the AndhraOrissa border.
One of these AOB companies had ambushed and attacked the Greyhounds who were returning from a combing operation last week. The AOB consists of Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada and Gajapati in Orissa and Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and East Godavari of Andhra Pradesh.
Maoists have got control over many areas in Chhattisgarh and Orissa. “This is known as the guerrilla zone and is under the control of Maoists,” said a police officer. “They already have a strong base in Gajapati and Rayagada districts and have taken control of key areas of Southwestern Orissa.” The corridor along Ganjam-Kandhamal-Boudh-Sambalpur will give them the much-needed passage between their bastions in Chhattisgarh and Andhra, he added. But police does not have a ‘corridor’ of its own.
More than 1,200 km of the proposed 1,729 km road from Vijayawada to Ranchi in Jharkhand passes through 12 Naxalite-infested districts of Orissa along which the Maoists are planning to extend their corridor.
However, AP cops said the liberation corridor does not pose a major threat to the state, as long as vigil is maintained at districts adjacent to Orissa and Chhattisgarh.

Andhra CM YSR a nature lover!!! Peafowl to Edupalapaya

Who cares about Great Indian Bustard and Jerdon's Cursor?

By U Sudhakar Reddy
When the clouds gather over Idupulapaya, local people can now get to see peacocks dancing. After gifting a botanical garden, a deer park and an IIIT for Idupulapaya in his native district Kadapa, the Chief Minister, Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, has ordered the release of 67 peacocks and peahens there.
Wags say that there is no end for the patronage which the Chief Minister extends to Idupulapaya. His family has estates near the Edupulupaya Reserve Forest and the Chief Minister had given away hundreds of acres of land to the poor braving criticism from the opposition.
Dr Reddy now wants to relocate the peacocks and peahens grown using special breeding techniques at the Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad to Edupalapaya. Wildlife experts had wondered why the peafowl species was being bred carefully in the Nehru Zoo though their population is exploding in the natural habitat and other species required more attention. The answer is that forest officials had undertaken the task on the instruction of the Chief Minister who wanted to gift them to his native district.
Funds were sanctioned on war footing and zoo officials smiled as the peafowl population increased. They will be taken to Idupulupaya by June end or in the first week of July, in time for the rains. Forest officials say that the activities at Idupulupaya are evidence of Dr Reddy’s love for nature. According to them, the development of Idupulapaya could be the first step towards the formation of a connecting corridor between Nallamala and Seshachalam forests which will help in the free movement of animals.
However, the fact remains this "love of nature" is not extended to crucial projects related to endangered species. The vulture breeding project and the Jerdon Cursor and Great Indian Bustard projects could not take off so far. There are only 10 Great Indian Bustards in Rollapadu bird sanctuary and the species is facing extinction.
The Telugu Ganga canal project has also had a negative impact on the Jerdon Cursor bird. But forest officials would rather clap on as peacocks dance in Edupulupaya and peahens watch them in admiration.

Hate communities mushroom on Orkut against YSR, Naidu, Chiru and Balakrishna

Cyber Cops warn action

By U Sudhakar Reddy
Hyderabad, June 24: More than 60 hate communities have sprouted in social networking site Orkut against superstar Chiranjeevi after he announced his political entry. Hate communities against the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, the Telugu Desam chief, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, the Telangana Rastra Samiti president, Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao, and film stars Balakrishna, Nagarjuna, and Mahesh Babu are also thriving in Orkut.
The Cyber Crimes Police Station has warned that it would take action against those who run hate communities and post vulgar pictures and abusive content on VIPs and celebrities. Internet surfers seem to be enthusiastically joining the hate communities. For instance, "We Hate Chiranjeevi" group has 2,289 members and "We hate YSR" has 1,754 members. There are around 11 communities in Orkut targeting YSR, six spewing venom on Mr Naidu and five on KCR. There are 21 communities which specialise in frothing against actor Balakrishna.The photographs of several film stars and leaders have been morphed and given an obscene look by these hate communities.
"If they post obscene comments and photographs, we can book cases and track down those who run the communities with the help of the service provider," said the Inspector Mr Ravi Kumar of the Cyber Crime Police Station. He added that cases had been registered against certain persons running hate communities after complaints from individuals. "But so far no political leader or celebrities have lodged complaints," he said.
Police add that lack of awareness on cyber crimes in the country is leading to such abuse. "But the fact remains that the number of fan clubs is more than the number of hate communities," said a senior advocate, Mr Srinivas Reddy. For instance, Chiru has at least 1,000 communities supporting him. They include "Chiru the next Chief Minister" and "Join Chiru Party". The biggest community has at least 18,000 members. Earlier Shiva Sena demanded the ban on social networking site Orkut after hate communities targeted its leader Bal Thackeray. "We can write to Google and get the Internet Protocol address of those who created the hate communities," said a senior cop.

Andhra to Gulf : Girls fall prey to Sex racket

By U Sudhakar Reddy
Police has busted a major racket trafficking young women from the state to Gulf countries including Dubai, Kuwait and Oman and forcing them into the sex trade.
Sleuths of the CID and West Godavari police arrested some local suspects and issued FIRs against the racket’s agents in Dubai and Kuwait. The women were trapped in the racket after being promised jobs as maid servants and baby-sitters in Gulf countries.
One of them, a 21-year-old woman of West Godavari district, was rescued and brought back to Hyderabad from Dubai with the help of Indian Embassy.
She said several others like her were languishing in brothels in Dubai. “I was raped several times by Arabs and was taken to 17 places where I was abused further,” she said.
An agent named A.
Gavaraiah Naidu of West Godavari faked her age and got her passport and visas to Muscat and Dubai. She also got the ‘Emigration Check Not Required’ clearance though she is less than 30 years of age and did not have the required educational qualification. Naidu has been arrested by Undrajavaram police for his involvement in the racket. “He promised the job of a maid servant at a salary of 700 dirhams per month and my husband paid him Rs 60,000,” she said.
The young woman alleged that Naidu raped her in Bengaluru. “Later I was taken to Muscat where an Arab sheikh sexually exploited me for 10 days,” she said. “He gave me a sari, a cell phone and Rs 10,000.
I sent the money to a bank in the city.” The girl was then taken to a brothel run by Jyothi, a relative of Naidu, in Dubai, from where she was shifted to her sister Venkata Lakshmi’s house.
“At least 20 to 25 persons used to exploit me in a day,” she said. “Jyothi took away my passport and mobile phone and also tortured me with burning cigarettes.” She used to talk to her husband on the mobile phones of some of the ‘clients’ who visited the brothel, including men from AP. Finally, she escaped and reached the Indian embassy that shifted her to a shelter where she stayed for 10 days before returning to the city.
Four other young women from Suryaraopalem of West Godavari district have also been trapped by Jyothi and efforts are on to bring them back home.
“The gang lures women with the promise of jobs,” said CID (anti-trafficking) inspector general, Mr S. Umapathi. “We are trying to trace some bar dancers who were forced into the trade.
We will be issuing more FIRs against the accused.” The inspector general of CID (anti-trafficking unit) addressed the media on the eve of rescuing women from Andhra Pradesh who had fallen prey to a sex racket in the Gulf. Mr Umapathi urged parents and husbands not to send the women to Gulf countries without checking the veracity of the agents.
The Protector of Emigrants of Hyderabad, Mr Ajit Chouhan, said that at least 31,000 persons were given ECNR clearance from his office last year.
“Individuals who go to Gulf countries as housemaids should be 30 years old and should have original or embassy attested visa, work agreement attested by embassy or work permit,” he said.
The inspector general added, “They should also have Pravasi Bharthi Bheema Yojana.” There are eight Protector of Emigrants (PoE) offices in the country. People from Andhra Pradesh should go to POEs at Chennai, Mumbai, Tiruvananthapuram and Delhi apart from Hyderabad for ECNR (Emigration Clearance Not Required).
The Kadapa Superintendent of Police, Mr. Mahesh Bhagawat, said that the three other young women from West Godavari district were also rescued.
He added that the racketeers also shot pornographic movies with the women from the state.
(Photo courtesyAAFAQ)

Pak printed fake currency to Andhra via Bangladesh

By U Sudhakar Reddy/Hyderabad

Fake Indian cur rency printed in Pakistan is reaching Hyderabad and coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh in a big way.
The shipments reach the city on air from Dubai , through sea from Pakistan via Gujarat , Mumbai and Kochi , and also make their way through the porous borders between India and Bangladesh .
Police sources say most of the fake currency racketeers are linked either to the ISI, the Dawood Ibrahim gang or Bangla based terror groups.
Police suspect that the money is being used for terror and underworld activities of jihadi groups and gangsters.
The fake currency coming to the state is of high quality and the Reserve Bank of India officials say it is very difficult to distinguish it from the genuine currency printed by the Indian Security press. After keen scrutiny, RBI officials detected slight variations in water mark and thread which are not visible to the naked eye.
It is suspected that fake currency notes of crores of rupees are in circulation in Andhra Pradesh. In the latest instance, counterfeit notes worth around Rs 10 lakh had been slyly introduced in the market.
In the last few years, police has been successful in busting several gangs dealing with fake currency, but this has not ended the flow.
One reason is that several key accused have escaped the police dragnet. Two key racketeers, Aftab Bhatki, a native of Mumbai and Babu Gaithan, a native of Barkas in the city, could not be nabbed. They are both in Dubai and the AP police has sought the help of the Interpol to catch them.
Since the kingpins could not be nabbed, investigation into many cases reached an impasse and the flow of counterfeit notes continued.
In the last eight years, sleuths have pursued 10 major fake currency rackets sponsored by ISI and DCompany and arrested 25 persons. They also recovered counterfeit currency worth about Rs 3 crore.
“The fake currency racket has international ramifica tions,” said the Commissioner of Police, Mr B.
Prasada Rao.
He added that racketeers sometimes threw shipments of currency over the fence in the Bangladesh border when Border Security Force guards were away. “The smugglers reach the city from Kolkata by train,” he said. It is believed that the racketeers take the help of illegal immigrants from Karimnagar, East and West Godavari districts, Nizamabad and Kadapa to smuggle in fake currency on the air route. They are wrapped in carbon papers so as not to be detected by X-ray machines at airports.
In August 2007, police seized counterfeit currency of Rs 2.36 crore and arrested a UAE national and three others from the city. But a kingpin of the racket, Kamlesh, based in Hong Kong , is still absconding.
This consignment was shipped into the country from Karachi in April 2007.
The first shipment arrived in Gujarat. It was the Gujarat police who informed the city police of the Hyderabad link.
According to the police, this was a dry run by the ISI to establish a chain through which fake notes would be brought into Mandvi from Pakistan and spread to different places.
Police are also probing the fake currency angle in the Lumbini and Gokul Chat blasts which occurred in the city soon after the busting of the huge racket.

Film stars Jeevitha and Rajashekar seek gunmen

By U Sudhakar Reddy
Film actress Jee vitha and her actor husband Rajasekhar have asked police to provide them with more personal security guards.
In a letter to the police commissioner, Mr B. Prasada Rao, Ms Jeevitha said her family was feeling threatened after a series of incidents including a burglary.
The couple was given two security guards after the alleged attack by Chiranjeevi fans in January 2008, following a comment by Mr Rajasekhar on the former’s political entry. They were withdrawn after the security review committee found that there was no longer any threat to the couple.
“Ms Jeevitha has asked for security saying they are still facing a threat, but did not specify any group or persons,” said the joint commissioner of police (Security), Mr Kripananda Tripathi Ujela. He added that police could provide one guard at a time if the couple agreed to pay for his services.
Mr Rajasekhar, his wife and their daughters suffered minor injuries and the windowpane of their car was smashed in the assault by ‘Chiranjeevi fans’ at Punjagutta when they were returning home from Bhimavaram in West Godavari district. The fans were allegedly irked by Rajasekhar’s comment that Chiranjeevi has no political experience. Following the attack, Chiranjeevi visited their house and apologised.
Punjagutta police also registered a case against the attackers and arrested them.
However, in the last week of May, burglars entered Rajasekhar’s office at Jubilee Hills and stole cash and electronic goods. The script of their new movie was also damaged and this raised suspicions.

Police torture- Cops and Criminals play Tom and Jerry

By U Sudhakar Reddy

Antics of some regular suspects who are brought to police stations for interrogation are frustrating cops to no end.
Though it is common for suspects to be nervous, there has been a role reversal in these cases. It is the cops who are nervous.
For many suspects inflict injuries on themselves soon after they reach the police stations and then file complaints with human rights commissions and courts alleging torture.
One Akbar Mohammed of Bhavaninagar, arrested in connection with assaults, shocked cops by reportedly breaking his head with a glass as soon as he reached the station. Later, he filed cases accusing the police of harassing him.
A habitual chain snatcher, Hasan Barak Ba of Chandrayanagutta, enacts a suicide drama whenever he is arrested. Then he files complaints. Caught in the legal muddle, cops forgot all about recovering the stolen ornaments.
With no other go, police has finally decided to videograph interrogations of top suspects to prove that they are not using any thirddegree methods.
The city police commissioner, Mr B. Prasada Rao, has supplied digital video cameras and still cameras to all police stations and Task Force and Central Crime Station offices in the city to score one over the wily criminals.
Nowadays, cops switch on the video cameras immediately after the troublesome suspects are brought to the station. If they try to hurt themselves, the cops have visual evidence to present to the courts.
This is not to say that third-degree methods are not used by the police.
The cops in the state have perfected the roller treatment (using pestle or wooden log), rocket ekkinchadam (hoisting a person with ropes) and beating on the legs and hands.
In roller treatment the suspect is held down on the floor and a wooden log or pestle (musal) is laid across the legs.
Two cops sit on each side and roll it backwards and forwards crushing the muscles.
After human rights activists raised hell over custodial torture, cops started beating up suspects on the palms of the hand and soles of the feet with a ‘whip’ made of vehicle tyres. The advantage here is the there would be no bruises to show.
And there is no guarantee that the video cameras will put an end to it. After all, you can switch them off and take up the whip.

Chiru ratham for election campaign

By U Sudhakar Reddy

The ratham that is expected to take superstar Chiranjeevi to the portals of power is being fabricated at the workshop of Real Cars in Jeedimetla.
It is an Eicher van that is metamorphosing into a prachara ratham, for Chiranjeevi, who is all set to launch a political party.
Sources in the police department said the power ratham was being spruced up with an air-conditioned room with sleeping facilities to enable the actor to travel long distances.
The fabrication work of the power ratham is almost over.
The workers of the vehicle are giving it the finishing touches. The prachara ratham for superstar Chiranjeevi will roll out in a few days.
Though the Real Cars workshop usually takes up fabrication of bullet-proof vehicles, the police source said Chiranjeevi’s prachara ratham is not likely to be fortified in that manner.
“As there is no huge threat perception to Chiranjeevi it is unlikely that he would go for a bullet-proof vehicle,” said the police officer.
“But the possibility cannot be dismissed as Real Cars usually takes up such type of work,” the senior police officer said.
As such, no permission is required for owning a bullet proof car as the home department is yet to come out with clear guidelines on this.
The Legislative Council member, Mr Kasani Gnaneswar, and the media baron, Mr Ramoji Rao, have made their cars bullet proof.
Though the superstar of Tollywood does not face any major threats, the Intelligence Security Wing is not taking any chances and has provided personal security officers to him.

AP cops opt for less pay

By U Sudhakar Reddy
Hunting down armed Maoists in jungles is surely more risky and dangerous than netting corrupt officials using decoys. A stray bullet can even end your life. But senior IPS officers and even the constabulary prefers the former job to the latter.
They would even manage traffic in a busy street than be shifted to the Anti-Corruption Bureau though it pays 30 per cent more than routine jobs. Three out of the six joint director posts in ACB are lying vacant and there are no takers for them.
An additional director post, several posts of inspectors and lower level officers are also lying vacant.
Insiders say that there are not many officers who want to take up these posts because they are not “lucrative” enough (the pay hike notwithstanding). Also, the ACB is widely seen as a dumping yard where officers who are not in the good books of political bosses are kept in suspended animation. Cops would rather prefer jobs in the two antiMaoist forces, the Special Intelligence Branch and Grey Hounds.
Here they get 60 to 80 per cent more pay apart from abundant “extra funds”.
Right now three superinten dents of police, Ms Charu Sinha, Mr Sampath Kumar and Mr Srinivas are working as joint directors of ACB.
Ms Charu Sinha, who was doing a good job at Mahbubnagar, was shifted to ACB as some bigwigs in the government didn’t like what she was doing.
In ACB one post is lying vacant for several months and another went vacant after the joint director, Mr Ravi Varma, was “rescued” by the DGP, Mr S.S.P.
Yadav, and posted as West Zone deputy commissioner of police.
Mr Yadav was director general of ACB prior to Mr R.R. Girish Kumar and knew its troubles firsthand.
The other post of joint director fell vacant after Mr Ravi Shankar was promoted as DIG and posted as additional director in ACB itself.
At present, three joint directors are doing the job of six directors in ACB.
Most cops are uninterested in ACB postings since no big cash incentives are given to them even when they nab a corrupt official.
The authorities do not even give them a pat on the back.
On the other hand, agencies such as SIB and Greyhounds get huge cash incentives for key captures and “encounters”. Insiders say that even local informers are sometimes paid in lakhs of rupees.

Leopards caught and killed in Urban jungles

By U Sudhakar Reddy

With humans in vading and capturing their habitats to erect their highrises, big cats are entering towns and cities as if to demand their due.
Panthers once roamed in the Hitec city area of Madhapur, but they lost their habitat after the scrub jungle was levelled for erecting a cyber city.
Similarly, scrub jungles in the fringes of Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry and other urban areas were also destroyed for construction.
These scrub jungles were the connecting links (marginal habitats) between the thick forest and human habitations. For long years, the borders were inviolate.
But that is no longer the case. The destruction of its habitat, lack of prey and water scarcity has forced many panthers to stray into cities and towns in recent times.
In 2008, there were 22 incidents of panthers straying into cities, towns and villages. There were only 13 such incidents in 2006.
Panthers have been spotted everywhere — near temples, railway stations, prisons, dumping yards, residential colonies and industrial units.
Big cats were spotted many times in the the ONGC base complex spread over around 200 acres in Rajahmundry. Some of them were caught and released in Maredumilli forests of Rampachodavaram agency.
On March 25, another panther was spotted at the Central Prison in Rajahmundry and it was trapped in a bathroom by a resident of Lalitanagar Colony, a few kilometres away from the prison.
In Visakapatnam, panthers were sighted at Kapulauppada and Marikavalasa on the Vizag-Bhimili Road close to the beach between November 2007 and January 2008.
Another panther which strayed into fields near Samalkota was killed by panic-stricken villagers armed with sticks and sharp weapons before forest officials arrived.
“They were all young panthers in search of a new territory after losing their habitat,” said a forest official.
The situation has become so alarming that top officials of the wildlife department have asked all divisional forest officers to keep traps ready to deal with emergencies.
Officials in Visakhapatnam, Nizamabad and East Godavari districts were asked to be ready with three to four traps at all times.
Lower rung employees are also being trained on how to trap and tranqulise a panther. “We have given training to beat officers and section officers on how to catch the cats,” said the deputy conservator of forest (Wild Life), Mr B. Varaprasad.
“We are spending Rs 50 lakh on contingency measures.” Forest officials could rescue only eight of the pan thers which entered human habitations.
There have been rare instances of panthers attack ing humans. In Vishakapatnam, a panther attacked a female worker and dragged her to distance before she was rescued by other labourers near the IT Park at Kapulaupada on January 24. Another labourer was also attacked by a panther two weeks earlier in the same spot.

(With Patnaik and Sampath)

Security withdrawn for Tennis Star Sania Mirza

By U Sudhakar Reddy
Hyderabad, May 31: The city police has withdrawn the two gunmen deputed to give security cover to tennis star, Ms Sania Mirza, after she failed to pay the user fee of more than Rs 2 lakh. Other VIPs including film star, Dr Rajashekhar, and former Wakf Board chairperson and Telugu Desam leader, Mr Mohammed Saleem, also lost their gunmen since the security review committee felt they no longer faced threats.
However, superstar, Chiranjeevi, was allowed to retain his gunman as he was paying the user fee. In Ms Mirza’s case, there was disagreement among the top police officers on whether the gunmen should be withdrawn over the issue of pending user fee. While some senior cops felt that Ms Mirza should be provided security on the state’s expense since she was a prized champ, others felt that she ought to pay.
The ‘user fee’ lobby carried the day and police issued notices to Ms Mirza asking her to pay the arrears. The joint commissioner of police (security), Mr Kripanand Tripathi Ujala, said notices would be issued again to the tennis star to collect the arrears. "The review commit didn’t recommend her case stating that there is no threat perception to her now," said Ujala.
Ms Mirza was given gunmen for more than nine months and she was meant to pay Rs 25,000 per month. The City Security Wing is providing security to 143 persons. In all, 16 VIPs, mostly film stars, politicians and media barons, are paying user fee for the gunmen.
"Personal security officers are provided only on the basis of genuine threat," said Mr Ujala. "We are also reviewing the threat perception from time to time." Police sources added that the VIPs had to pay a fee of Rs 12,000 for each gunman. "This is equal to a salary of a constable rank officer," said the source.
However, Mr Saleem objected to his security cover being withdrawn and said that he still needed it. "I am a businessman and politician," he said. "I have been paying the user fee on time regularly."

Raj Bhavan gets High Security suites for PM and President

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

Exclusive high security suites for the President, Prime Minister and Vice President are being built in the Raj Bhavan guest house at a cost of Rs 3 crore.
They are being designed in such a way that snipers won’t be able to target the occupants from nearby high-rises. The Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence), Mr Aravinda Rao, has cleared the construction in Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the Governor, Mr N.D. Tiwari.
Lack of fortified places to put up visiting VVIPs has always troubled the police and the new suites will solve this problem.
The state government has released Rs 3 crore for building the suites and the secretary to the Governor has requested administrative sanction for taking up construction worth Rs 16.22 crore in the Raj Bhavan premises.
Earlier, the government had sanctioned Rs.4.88 crore for construction of an administrative block, officers’ residential complex, and new blocks for drivers.
A senior police officer said that there were initially some concerns about whether the suites of VVIPs could be targeted by snipers. “Later, the design was changed to prevent such attacks,” he said.
The Raj Bhavan is spread over 21.5 acres and is the first big halt for visiting VVIPs. It is also a heritage structure constructed in the 1930s. One of the earlier occupants of the building was Sir Akbar Hydari, the Prime Minister of the Nizam, from 1936 to 1941.
But he stayed here for a short period and shifted to an adjacent building which is now known as Dilkusha Guest House.

UN peacekeeping dollar salaries attract cops

By U Sudhakar Reddy

Do all cops going out to war zones abroad as part of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force spurred by the motto to serve?
The buzz is that they make huge bucks and taxfree ‘white’ money. Many of them, who are in loop line posts, opt to go out on United Nations missions to get paid in dollars.
In Kosovo, a peacekeeping officer is paid $92 a day and in Sudan and East Timor around $120. On an average, an officer earns $3,000 a month and can take home $2,000. The salary paid is regardless of the ranks.
Hence, IPS officials, deputy superintendents and inspectors of police also visit war-ridden zones to work for a few years.
Interestingly, some of them fail to make it as they flunk the test for English ability. Police officials, who stay in the loop line for years, are opting to move out to pursue higher studies.
For example, Ms Anjana Sinha, deputy inspector general of police, Special Protection Force, was in the loop line in the Congress regime.
Now, she has enrolled for a two-year postgraduate programme in public policy and management at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Bangalore. The cost of the domestic component of the programme, which is around Rs 2.5 lakh, will be borne by the home ministry and the state government will meet other costs.
It all went wrong for Ms Sinha when she was the west zone deputy commissioner of police.
She was involved in a controversy over nonsurrender, on record, of the seized weapons of the aides of the slain Telugu Desam leader, Paritala Ravi.
Since then she has been in loop line posts such as the Women Protection Cell, the Andhra Pradesh Police Academy and the Special Protection Force.
Meanwhile, the murder case, which dented the image of the state police, still haunts them though they managed to arrest a suspect, ‘Laddu’. Did cops lay hands on the wrong man in the Ayesha Meera murder case?
However, they, are divided over his arrest as some officers believe that the Vijayawada police laid their hands on the wrong man by relying on ‘footprint’ evidence.
Under pressure and to ward off criticism, the police resorted to the arrest of Laddu though the DNA fingerprinting, handwriting and a lie detector test showed that he was not the killer.
The Andhra Pradesh Forensic Science Laboratory experts told the Vijayawada police that they were not sure that the footprint could be taken as strong evidence to nail him.
The Andhra Pradesh Forensic Science Laboratory report on footprint, analysed from a photograph, said there could be similarity in the deformity of a toe.
A B.Pharma student, Ayesha Meera was killed in her hostel at Ibrahimpatnam in Vijayawada a few months ago.
The arrest took place after the new commissioner of police, Mr K.V. Rajendranath Reddy, took over from Mr C.V. Anand. Some of the officers of the Crime Investigation Department team, who took part in the investigation, are not satisfied with the manner in which the arrest took place.
Meanwhile, Laddu and his family members claim that they are innocent.

Credit card scamsters used Orkut

By U. SUDHAKAR REDDY
Hyderabad, May 18: An inter-state gang operating from Mumbai and Visakhapatnam used the social networking website Orkut to buy airline tickets with stolen credit card data.
The tickets were sold at a discount to unsuspecting buyers, mostly employees of the Vizag and Bokaro steel plants who were availing their leave travel concession.
The Hyderabad police's central crime station busted the gang following a complaint from a Hyderabad-based person who found that the gang had fraudulently used his credit card data to purchase the tickets. The police arrested one Umapathi Thakur alias Vikas Kumar alias Praveen, 22, of Jharkhand, from Visakhapatnam, saying that he was a key operative. The Mumbai-based scamsters who booked the tickets with stolen credit card data are still at large.
Umapathi’s office, Ganga Ticket Solutions, was located near the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.
The scam started unravelling when one Ravinder Reddy of Kalyannagar in Dilshuknagar received an SMS from ICICI Bank on May 6 stating that he had purchased an air ticket from Kolkata to Guwahati.
Mr Reddy, who had done no such thing, immediately approached the police, who booked a complaint and began investigations.
Inspector J. Anyonya, who is investigating the case, told this newspaper: "This is a credit card fraud where details are stolen by hacking online websites or by collecting details from places where the card was used."
"Umapathi has confessed that he had done up to 60 transactions worth lakhs of rupees with the aid of other accused based in Mumbai," Mr Anyonya said. Mr Ravinder Reddy was charged about Rs 43,000 for the air tickets he didn't buy.
The police said the gang stole the credit card data including its 16-digit number, its three- or four- digit CVV (credit verification value) and expiry date.
CVV is an anti-fraud security feature to verify that the credit card is in possession of its genuine owner. The account number, CVV and expiry date are required to complete a transaction.
"The data is stolen usually at petrol pumps, shopping complexes and bars and restaurants where the customers are not alert," said a police official said. "Hackers steal the data from unsafe websites or at Internet cafes."
In this case the scamsters in Mumbai stole the credit card data and used them to buy airline tickets. Umapathi brought in the customers.
"We identified the customers who were flying with the air tickets purchased fraudulently and detained them. They revealed that they got the tickets from Umapathi's Ganga Ticket Solutions," Mr Anyonya said. "His arrest lead to the unearthing of the scam."
"Those who purchased the tickets are innocent. Umapathi used to lure them by offering them tickets at discounted rates," Mr Anyonya said. The customers are given the PNR number and an e-ticket so they do not suspect anything amiss.
The police offered the following advice to prevent credit card fraud:
At outlets where you use the credit card, watch as your card is swiped.
Avoid using credit or debit cards at cybercafes.
Don’t shop online on unprotected websites.
Never use the card on pornography sites.
If the bank offers SMS alerts for credit and debit card transactions, subscribe to it.
Make sure your credit card company has your current phone number so they can call you if they see a suspicious pattern of transactions.
Don't use a debit card over the Internet. Your credit card fraud liability is limited but debit card fraud could drain your account.
Keep track of transactions. You should remember at least the last five transactions. Also check the monthly statements.
Keep receipts and check your credit card statement against them.
Lodge a police complaint and inform the bank if you suspect fraud.

Andhra Explosives used in Blasts

By U. SUDHAKAR REDDY
Hyderabad, Aug. 27: A licensed dealer who bought a huge consignment of explosives from Amin Explosives Ltd at Nagpur has come under the scanner of the Special Investigation Team probing Saturday's twin explosions, which killed 41 people in Hyderabad.
Rajasree Explosives of Bhongir, about 50 km from here, had bought "Neo Gel 90", a slurry of ammonium nitrate, from the Nagpur firm. This is the same explosive material used in Saturday's bombings.
Contacted over the phone, Nagpur commissioner of police Satyapal Singh told this correspondent: "Two consignments of Neo Gel of around nine tonnes were sent to Rajasree Chemicals and Balaji Enterprises since July this year from Amin Explosives."
Investigations by this newspaper revealed the police had, prior to the blasts, written to the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (Peso) to cancel the licence of Rajasree Explosives, which had been booked in previous cases of violation of rules. No action has so far been taken.
Bhongir deputy superintendent of police V.V. Narasinga Rao said, "In the past one year we wrote to the district collector through superintendents of police thrice asking to cancel the licence of Rajasree Explosives as it was found violating rules. We were told that the collectorate wrote to Peso asking it to take action. So far no action has been taken."
He added, "When we inspected the book balance on explosive sales of Rajasree Explosives at Bhongir, we found that there was fudging of figures. They said they sold 1,500 kg of explosives out of 2,000 kg in stock, but they also said that 2,000 kg was still available."
"It was termed a clerical mistake.A case was registered at Bhongir police station. They got bail the same day after execution of arrest," Mr Narasinga Rao said.
Asked about the recommendation to cancel the firm's licence, Nalgonda district collector Purushottam Reddy said, "We received the communication from the police and wrote to Peso to cancel the licence. We withdrew the NOC a few months ago. As this issue has propped again, we will look into it and see that action is taken."
Peso deputy chief controller A.V. Subba Rao said, "We wrote to the central office at Nagpur to cancel the licence of Rajasree Explosives. The order has to come from Nagpur."
"The collector and the police department can cancel the no-objection certificate if the company is found violating rules," Mr Subba Rao said.
Another firm, owned by relatives of the proprietors of Rajasree Explosives in Karimnagar, had its licence withdrawn by the collector, Mr Subba Rao said.
Peso officials said that Balaji Enterprises at Karimnagar was owned by Rajasree Explosives.
The name of Rajasree Explosives had come up in two cases of seizure of 100 kg of slurry at Vanasthalipuram and Raidurg. But the company was found not at fault.
Vanasthalipuram police inspector Chandrashekar said, "We arrested one M. Ranga Reddy of Vanasthalipuram with explosives on June 29. Ranga Reddy was supposed to use the explosives at a construction site situated near Hitech City. Ranga Reddy had taken the explosives for a licensed user but was trying to sell them to quarries and crushing units. In the investigation we found that the transaction from Rajasree Explosives to the licensed user was legal."
In 2006, after an accident under the limits of Ramanatham police station limits in Tamil Nadu, the police found slurry and a safety fuse from a Tata Sumo.
While tracking the origin of the explosives a police team from Tamil Nadu visited Gautami Explosives Ltd, Saarajpet, in Aleru mandal near Bhongir. Gautami Explosives had sold the slurry to Rajasree Explosives at Bhongir. In turn, Rajasree Explosives had sold it to KE Stores of Calicut, Kerala. "The consignment was diverted from Kerala to Tamil Nadu," an official said.
Bhongir DSP Narsinga Rao said, "The Tamil Nadu police searched Gautami Explosives and found the records legal. So no action was taken."
Rajasree Explosives proprietor Raj Kumar said, "Balaji Enterprises, owned by my brother Vijay Kumar, bought the explosives from Amin. This took place before March. After March there has been no transaction. And Rajasree Explosives did not have any transaction with Amin this year. I don't know how the name of Rajasree Explosives came up."
Mr Raj Kumar said, "The consignment was three to four tonnes and we sold them in Karnataka, Orissa, and Anakapalle, near Visakhapatnam. All are legal transactions. We haven't sold explosives to illegal users."
"The police contacted us and we gave them details. I don't know from where the terrorists got the explosives, from Karnataka or Maharashtra," Mr Raj Kumar said, adding, "I can't divulge details of what the police asked me."
"The consignment also went to Chirag, Karnataka, as per our information. We are trying to find out from Amin Explosives why they mentioned our name. It can be an attempt to divert attention," he said.
Asked about the police asking that his licence be cancelled, Mr Raj Kumar said, "The police didn't consider the purchase bills but were going by the record and booked a case. We have taken up a legal battle. Since the (police) case was not proved, our licence was not cancelled. It is unfortunate that our name is figuring in these incidents," Mr Raj Kumar said. "In the Vanasthalipuram case, too, we are in no way concerned and we sold only to legal dealers," he added.
A Peso official said, "Slurry may have leaked from end users like quarries or crushing units. It could even be from irrigation contractors as well as the Singareni collieries. Usually the manufacture and licensed seller will not resort to illegal sales."
The responsibility of monitoring the sale of explosives to dealers, sub-dealers and end users, all of whom are required to have a licence and maintain detailed records, lies with the police, said a Peso employee.

Fire department says no to HIV positive

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

The AP Fire and Emergency Services Department will not recruit HIV positive men in the fire force.
The state government has amended service rules to keep out HIV positive men from the fire force as it did in the case of the police two years ago.
Similarly, the fire service also decided to continue with its practice of not recruiting women as fire fighters though the police had done away with similar rules. These specifications are present in the new AP Fire Subordinate Service Rules for recruitment of station fire officers, firemen and driver operators. Apart from physical and written tests, men have to take a medical test too to be considered for the posts.
As per rules, those who are HIV positive, physically handicapped, are flat-footed, or have pigeon chests and wobbly knees cannot be considered for the post. The rule also bans recruitment of those who suffer from abnormal psychological behaviour.
AP State AIDS Control Society had opposed the discrimination against HIV positive people in police and fire services department. It also moved court but the government stuck to its stance.
Interestingly, the director general of the predominantly male fire and emergency services department is a woman IPS official, Ms Aruna Bahuguna. She said HIV positive men were not eligible as per government rules and added that women won’t be considered either while recruiting for posts of 1,116 ‘firemen’ since firefighting needs lot of physical stamina.
“The fire-fighter has to break doors, windows, walls and climb up and down buildings,” she said. “They sometimes have to carry the victims out. Moreover, these posts are only for firemen.” She added that women might be considered for the posts of driver and fire station officers.
An APSACS official pointed out that there were several High Court judgments terming discrimination against HIV positive people to be irrational and unconstitutional.
“Even a bill to safeguard the rights of HIV positive people is being charted out,” he said. “HIV is not AIDS.” However, a senior police officer said that when even a slight squint or bad teeth was a disqualification for joining the police and fire force, it would be absurd to recruit an HIV positive person.
“They would not be able to withstand rigorous training because of the decreasing immunity,” he added