Dirtiest places on Earth in Andhra : Clean up a big challenge?

By U Sudhakar Reddy


With concerns about polluted environments growing and the Centre identifying several industrial clusters across the country that pose an unacceptably high risk to human health, cleaning up some of the worst areas is a big challenge for the authorities. The Centre has identified five industrials clusters - Vishakapatnam, Patan-cheru-Bollarum, Katedan, Kukatpally, and Vijayawada - to be highly polluted in the state and at least 20 major lakes in Hyderabad are in the category of most contaminated sites.
The Centre has sanctioned a two-year pilot project funded by the World Bank for two areas, Noor Mohammed Kunta lake in Hyderabad and Ukkayapalli in Kadapa. The Environment and Social Assessment study conducted in these areas with the assistance of the ministry of environment has revealed some shocking facts.
Lakes, industrial cluster areas, municipal dumping yards, and bio-medical waste sites are considered to be the dirtiest places. Environmentalists and health experts say it is not an easy task to clean up highly polluted areas as the ground and surface water are highly contaminated as is the soil.
Quantities of hazardous wastes are illegally dumped outside industrial estates, on abandoned public lands, and within privately owned lands. There are no estimates available with the State Pollution Control Board regarding the quantity and nature of the hazardous wastes in such dumps.
The AP Pollution Control Board (APPCB) has dug up the health records of people living around NM Kunta lake and five others inter-connected lakes including Mir Alam Tank situated in and around the Katedan Industrial Area in Rajendranagar. The records show that people living around these areas suffer from air pollution related health problems. Asthma, difficulty in breathing and vomiting are often experienced and get worse during the rainy season.
Mr A. Muralidhar, a resident of Katedan says, “The foul smell intensifies during the evening hours after 7 pm every day and the worst time is the rainy season.” Of the 600 industrial units in Katedan, 16 per cent are lead extraction units, 13 per cent are oil refining, 10 per cent are cement industries and 8 per cent are textile industries. None of these industries has their own effluent treatment plant and instead discharge untreated effluents into the NM Kunta lake.
Both surface and ground water quality has deteriorated due to discharge of untreated industrial effluents. Total Dissolve Solids (TDS) in the ground water sample was 2,924 to 3,280 mg per litre, way above the permissible limit of 2,000 mg/l. The hardness of the ground water sample was also significantly higher than the desirable limit of 300 mg/l and the permissible limit of 500 mg/l. Chlorides and sulphates in the ground water were also in excess of the desired limits. The APPCB found various heavy metals in the lake water. Cadmium concentration exceeded desirable limits and lead and copper levels too were high.
Borewell water in the monsoon season showed significant concentration of lead and soil samples showed high levels of heavy metals. Industrial units in Katedan generate more than 200 MT of solid waste every month out of which 70 MT or 37 per cent is hazardous solid waste. Around 14 per cent of people still depend on borewell, water which exposes them to significant health risks from all these pollutants.
The APPCB senior engineer, Mr N.V. Bhaskar Rao, claims that the Board has stopped the source of pollution at Noor Mohammed Kunta. “The textile industries are responsible for the heavy pollution at NM Kunta which we have closed down. Now we are working on remedies,” he said.
Dr S. Krishna of Netaji Nagar says that skin diseases are the major problem for people living near the lake. Diarrhoea, jaundice and asthma are very common. Dr Sitaram of Sriramnagar has treated several cases of hepatitis-B, dysentery, typhoid, malaria and asthma, which increases during the rainy season.
Doctors say it is essential to stop the burning of solid waste, and supply safe piped drinking water to all residents. The project to be taken up with World Bank funds is expected to provide a blueprint for how all such projects should be handled to ensure environmental and social sustainability

Animal toxicity tests must on Ayurveda drugs: AP government

U Sudhakar Reddy
State government has made animal toxicity tests mandatory for export oriented Ayurveda drugs containing metals. Health Department has issued guidelines to Ayurveda drug makers in this regard.
As part of streamlining the system for licensing of patent and proprietary products of Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani medicines government earlier formed an expert committee which prepared guidelines.
As per the government order any metal or Rasa preparations should be subjected to animal toxicity for the export oriented products.
Pharmacopoeia guidelines should be followed for the formulations to be exported.
Health department said authentic purifying procedures of the drugs belonging to the group of rasas, maha rasas, dhatus(metals) should be strictly followed and procedure should be specified.
Government made clinical trials mandatory for the ayurveda drug makers.
"The proforma, utilised in the clinical trials of the formulation should be provided with the clinical reports copies. Reports of bio chemical investigation related to the patient population should be enclosed in the
clinical study," said a health official.
The ingredients pertaining to the formulation should be only from those mentioned in schedule one of Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
As per the new rule the ayurveda drug makers shall submit the chemical analysis reports along with data and photos as evidence pertain to the process. Report shall be provided from government or
State government approve or own laboratories. The label 'Heavy metals with in permissible limits' shall be
conspicuously displayed on the container of purely herbal and ayurvedic rugs. Ayurvedic Drug Manufacturers who do not have in house laboratory facility shall get their drugs tested by any approved
drug testing laboratory.

Alligator weed a health hazard: Seema Thotakura or Ponneganti

By U Sudhakar Reddy
A popular green leafy vegetable in the city, the alligator weed, vernacularly known as Seema thotakura or Seema ponneganti widely sold in vegetable markets is a serious health hazard warns scientists of Forestry and Ecology Division of National Remote Sensing Agency.
Scientists say there is no record of the cultivation of alligator as vegetable crop in the State. It is an alien species of weed picked up from Hussain Sagar, Musi River and other polluted bodies in the city and outskirts by vegetable sellers.Accumulated heavy metals like Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, Chromium and Copper cause serious health problem to those who consume vegetables says Dr Chintala Sudhakar
Reddy of NRSA.
Following the finding scientists are now asking the State government to ban the consumption of alligator weed immediately.Dr Reddy said ,"It is predominantly found growing in polluted waters in urban waterways,
drainage, margins of lakes and sewage sludge of rivers. Alligator weed is collected from these water bodies and sold in the vegetables mandis and Monda Market. As it tastes delicious the consumption is increasing in Hyderabad and other urban areas. It was native to South America and alien to India. Alligator absorbs heavy metals from water. It can cause serious health problems to people who consume it as vegetable. These
plants accumulate pollutants in their roots, stems and leaves,"
Bio-accumulation factors of heavy metals were significantly higher for leafy than for non- leafy vegetable. Though the Alligator is useful to clean up the polluted waters it is dangerous for human consumption.
"the leafy vegetable suck up pollution, people eating them may ingest the metals which can be harmful," said Dr Sudhakar Reddy.
He added ,"this should be banned like Cat fish sale and consumption was banned and government should take up steps for its control in natural and aquatic habitats,"
Government earlier banned Cat Fish a weed fish that resembles murrel as it's consumption spreads diseases.
Indian Medical Association State president Dr N Kishore said ,"heavy metals when ingested cause serious health hazards and is poisons to human body. It affects lungs, cerebral system including brain and intestine and stomach and other body organs. So people should not consume such leafy vegetable like Alligator weed as suggested by the scientists,"

Maoists and cops techwarfare : Naxals has LMGs

By U Sudhakar Reddy
The technological war between the CPI Maoists and State police is heating up. To counter the technological wing of CPI Maoists which have been operating almost for a decade State police have recently set up a tech wing headed by a Superintendent of Police.
The tech wing part of Special Intelligence Branch mainly aims at collection of information and countering the Naxal technology by using latest communication tapping equipment and sniffer software to track e-mails.
The tech wing of SIB is also involved in analysing the communication equipment recovered from the Maoist dumps.
The tech wing of Maoists have developed rocket launcher technology indigenously and also played crucial in setting up the arms making factory in Dandakaranya of Chattisgarh.
 A senior official of State Police Headquarters said ,"we have Superintendents of Police to gather intelligence from each region. Like Maoists have a Special Zonal Committee for Andhra Orissa Border and we have two separate Superintendents of Police known as SP(AOB) who exclusively deals with the intelligence gathering from AOB. As well as SPs for Nallamala-Rayalaseema and for Telangana. So similarly we have a tech wing headed by an SP. We are also getting ready for anticipated cyberwar in future with the Maoists,"
Maoists have the latest weapons in their armoury including the Universal Machine Guns sources said.
 "They have looted several of the modern sophisticated weapons in Orissa incidents. They have now LMG(Light Machine Guns) as well as Medium Machine Guns and UMGs.
 Th firepower of Maoists is on par with the police. They are using the latest computers, laptops and electronic gadgets," said the senior police official.
The document of Maoists also speaks about carrying the cyberwarfare and intercepting and hacking the communication of police. The document says youth with IT knowledge and hacking abilities have to be recruited into the part. Tech Madhu alias Sreenivas Reddy who was heading the technical wing of Maoists gave up the arms earlier. The technological wing of Maoists keep themselves updated with the
latest warfare all over the world. In Nayagarh raids in Orissa in 2008 Naxals made away with 1100 weapons including AK- 47s, INSAS and SLRs and other sophisticated equipment and one lakh bullets.
In similar raids on Koraput town in February 2004, more than 525 weapons were snatch The police official said ,"they have both crude made in their factories and latest weapons looted from security forces. Maoists have developed crude rocket launchers.

Viqar's confession to Hyderabad police: Tried to kill Gujarat CM Narendra Modi

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy
Terror suspect and Tehreek Galbha E Islam founder Viqar Ahmed in his confession to police said that he planned 26/11 type attack on December 6 in 2010( black day) by using AK-47 and other sophisticated weapons.
He was on the mission of collecting Rs 25 lakh for the project and was aiming to target the Sangh Parivar leaders and establishments. In his confession Viqar said that he met the controversial cleric Moulana
Naseruddin who is already facing several terror related cases in AP and Gujarat on June 14 and sought his blessings for the attacks.
In the confession Viqar said that he had asked Rs 5 lakh from Moulana Naseruddin for which he had accepted to provide financial help and gave Rs 5000 as an advance. In the confession Viqar also told police that he had attempted to kill Gujarat Chief Minister Mr Narendra Modi during the inauguration of Ramol Chowk Police Station. After seeing National Security Guards and other security staff he had withdrawn from the place. “ I was at the PS inauguration armed with the weapons. I thought it would not be easy to eliminate Modi with small weapons and decided to procure AK-47. I also planned to kill him in the guise of news reporters and made ID cards,” Viqar told to police. Police seized the fake ID cards of Zee news, Star News in which it was written that his name as Imran and designation as crime reporter.
Police also seized CDs and pen drives from the accused in which the sketches of city police stations, BJP leaders’ biodatas, hate speeches of Sayeed of Pakistan, Ayodha makeshift temple video, VHP leader Praveen Togadias details. The CDs seized from another suspect Riyaz also contained details of TGI logos, small arms training techniques.
Viqar confessed to police that he has connections with Indian Mujahideen and SIMI activists. As the two organizations have become inactive he want to use the ex DJS and Ex SIMI cadres for strengthening TGI. He had contacted Safdar Nagori of SIMI through one Jaber. Police said Viqar always wanted to keep the incident of Macca Masjid blast and firing afresh and wanted to commit offence on every anniversary.

Viqar prepared death note of city jeweler
TGI associated lead by Viqar targeted Bhavsagar a jeweler who hosted VHP leader Praveen Bhai Togadia meeting recently in the city. Viqar who conducted recce went to Sagar Bhai Jewellers at Motinagar in Borabanda in the city to kill Bhavsagar and to loot the shop in June 2010. As Bhavsagar was not at the shop he left the place and postponed the assassination. Police said that the Viqar had prepared a CD in the name of TGI that they killed Bhavsagar as he was hosted Praveen Togadia’s meeting in the city that spread communal hatred. Police seized the same.
“he had prepared the CD and was very confidence of eliminating Bhavsagar as this didn’t happen he had kept the CD with him,” said a police official.
Other suspects Riyaz and others confessed that they were given training in combat techniques which were downloaded from internet that are used by Mossad like Krav Maga marshal arts.
Viqar allegedly trained them in Chilkalaguda Idgah in combat techniques. Viqar also conducted recce for looting a foreighn exchange shop at Abids and to rob foreign currency. “I was very agitated after Macca Majsid blast and floated TGI in 2007,” Viqar told police.

Viqar was inspired by ‘Aankhen’ movie
Viqar told police in the interrogation that he was inspired by Aankhen movie starring Amitab Bacchan and Akshay Kumar. He said that he saw the movie several times and wanted to form a team to commit robberies. Viqar was named in 12 offences including two in Gujarat. Five cases of e-seva robberies, two cases of two wheeler thefts one at Uppal and other in Gujarat, Four cases of attacks on police and a case of robbery of HDFC bank were booked against him. Viqar initially purchased air guns in 2003 from Marfoof Armoury in MJ Market and teamed up with one Shameem Omar of Azampura who is still absconding. Shameem Omar along with the Viqar robbed E seva centre in Malakpet and Santoshnagar using air gun. With the cash they looted they purchased a England made and US made 7.65 mm pistols from Jhansi
and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. On June 7 in 2010 he had committed theft of scooter in Uppal police station limits and another automobile theft in Kagdapith PS limits in Ahmedabad and killing of constable Vinay in
Mananinagar. It was his associated Suleman alias Amjad who accompanied him to UP to purchase the weapons. He also took part in several robberies committed by Viqar.
During his stay in Ahmedabad with the help of local politician Zubair Viqar could get a plot in government land and constructed a room in t. He had shifted all his operations into the room.
Viqar confessed to police that he was inspired by the book written by Maulana Aleem Islahi of Saidabad on martyrs. Police said that the Viqar confessed that it was mentioned in the book that the terror suspect Fasiuddin is a martyr. Fasiuddin of Nalgonda is a terror suspect who was killed in police encounter. Viqar also mentioned that he had differed with DJS chief Mahbub Ali over the Macca Masjid blasts. “DJS chief was opining that it was handiwork of Shahed Bilal but I told him Sangh Parivar is involved. I differed from DJS on this,” Viqar told police.
Viqar had downloaded literature related to Jihad from Al-Nusra and Al furkhan websites. Viqar told police that he used his laptop to make letters and the logo was designed on the lines of Indian Mujahideen.
He came to city three days prior to Falkanuma incident from Ahmedabad and struck.
Viqar confessed to police that Dr Haneef and others were with him from 2008.

NIA probe in Zia Haq terror conspiracy case

By U Sudhakar Reddy
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the investigation of the conspiracy case involving Lashkar-e-Tayyaba activist Zia Ul Haq from the Special Investigation Team of the city police. This is the first case in the state being taken over by the NIA. “The NIA has taken over the case of Zia Ul Haq and has filed a petition in the court indicating this,” said the Central Crime Station deputy commissioner of police, Mr J. Satyanarayana.

Police said that the conspiracy case of Zia had been handed over to the NIA since it had wider ramifications. It is believed that 25 terror suspects got trained along with him in Pakistan and had intruded into the country. Zia was named an accused in the hand grenade blast at Odeon theatre on May 7 in 2006.
The LeT man had confessed that he was inspired by Jamat ud Dawaa leader Abdul Rahman Makki, a deputy of Hafiz Saeed, who is believed to be the mastermind behind the Mumbai attacks. A senior police officer said NIA had more sophisticated equipment and nationwide jurisdiction and could conduct a comprehensive probe. “Zia’s mentor, Abu Rehan alias Abdul Aziz, was directing terror activities in South India from Bangladesh and Nepal,” he said. “Rehan will also be made an accused in the case.”
NIA sleuths will also probe how Zia got hold of Chinese hand grenades and Chinese pistols. Zia, who conducted a recce of the Hitec City to carry out attacks, is facing charges of Passport Act violations too.


Zia Haq's Pak connections

Hyderabad Commissioner of Police Mr A K Khan showing
pics of Zia Ul Haq

Terror suspect Zia-Ul-Haq, who is currently in the custody of Special Investigation Team of the city police, has confessed that he was inspired by the Jamat-Ul-Dawah (formerly Lashkar-e-Tayyaba) leader, Abdul Rahman Makki, a deputy of Hafiz Saeed — the Pakistan-based terrorists most wanted in India.

In the confession report to SIT, the copy of which is available with this newspaper, Haq confessed, “while working as salesman in a textile company I used to visit a religious place in Jeddah in Saudi where I was most inspired with the preaching and speeches of Abu Ali of Pakistan and Abdul Rehman Makki of LeT-JUD cadre. Abu Ali used to play the CDs of Godhra carnage and other incidents and encourage us. It was Abu Ali of Pakistan who introduced me to Abdul Aziz.”
The investigators also found that on the instructions of LeT commander, Abdul Aziz, Haq crossed the border and went to Bang-ladesh with the support of one Shahi-Ul-Islam in 2008. An investigating official said, “Abdul Aziz alias Abu Rehan is guiding the terror activities in South India from Bangladesh and Nepal.
Haq confessed to the police that he was supposed to meet Abu Ali in Bang-ladesh, but returned as he could not complete the task. “I was trained in the Muzaffarabad camp for a month in handling and usage of explosives, fire arms, etc. I interacted with our instructors Abu Hafis, Sami, Abdul Aziz, Musamil and Zaki-u-Rahman, all Pakistanis. They have given me a specific task in Hyderabad. There were about 25 students in the training camp,” said Haq.
He also said he was under pressure from his handlers to carry out attacks in the city; the latest conspiracy being attack on places frequented by foreigners.

Haq's Hawala Links?
Officials of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) suspect that Lashkar-e-Tayyaba operative, Zia-ul- Haq, might have received large sums of money through hawala channels and other illegal means to perform his subversive activities. Police has found several transactions involving lakhs of rupees in his bank accounts in the city.

They wonder how a taxi driver could have such large sums in his account. Police is waiting for the transaction details from the ICICI bank’s Charminar branch, ABM Amro bank at Banjara Hills, Andhra Bank at Mehdipatnam and HDFC bank. Haq had accounts in all these banks.
Haq was also apparently using five SIM cards — three of Reliance and two of Idea — and the call details from these numbers have to be obtained from the service providers. “We have to identify the locations of the cellphone towers he used before he was arrested,” said an official. Investigators have also seized four hard disks from two cyber cafes in the city and sent them to APFSL for cyber forensic analysis.
Records of Sree Vishnu cyber cafe at Mehdipatnam show that Haq had visited the cafe on April 5, 2010. He had used the cafe three to four times. Two hard disks were seized from the cyber cafe. Haq had also visited another cyber cafe, Amaan Communications at Mehdipatnam, on April 10 and April 27 and contacted his handler Abdul Aziz of Pakistan.
The sleuths are working to crack the code language used by the suspect Haq. “Whenever terror operatives communicate with each other they use a code language. We have to decode this in this case,” said a police official. The accused had made several phone calls to countries including Saudi Arabia. “He made many phone calls and we need to know his contact details abroad. He stayed in a lodge in Delhi for two days in 2005 and met unknown persons and received weapons,” said an official.
Police also said there are several discrepancies in the passport applications filed by him with the Regional Passport Office.

Passport violation by Zia Haq

The Special Investigation Team of city police investigating the case of conspiracy booked against LeT operative Zia Ul Haq found that he has violated the provisions of the Passport Act.

Police said that Haq used a fake address and date of birth while procuring the passport.
The police is now discussing whether to book a separate case against Haq or to include the passport violation in the conspiracy case.
Zial Ul Haq obtained a passport in February 1995 from the Hyderabad passport office with the address as Jyothibagh in Yakutpura. He had quoted his date of birth as 19 February, 1972, by filing an affidavit with the officials.
Haq went to Dubai and worked there. From there he went to Saudi Arabia and then to Pakistan and got trained in the terror camp in Muzaffarabad, police said.
A senior investigating official said, “As his passport was taken away in the terror camp. He infiltrated into the country through Poonch in 2005. In 2006 he again applied for a passport in the name of Mohammed Zia ul Haque with a Muradnagar address. This time he applied for the passport with an SSC certificate that showed his date of birth as on October 19, 1976.”

Octopus to take part in commando operations in Indian States, 10 SWAT teams

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy
Anti terror units Octopus and Counter Intelligence of State police are reorganised on Wednesday as the government accepted and issued orders on much awaited proposals. Organisation for Counter Terrorists Operations(OCTOPUS) will now be a specialised commando unit with operational wing having 10
SWAT(Special Weapons and Tactics Teams).
Four of these teams will be stated in Hyderabad and remaining two each in three other major cities in the State in Vishakapatnam, Tirupati and Vijayawada.
Each SWAT team with special uniform and weapons will have assault commandos, bomb disposal squad lead by Deputy Superintendent of police with a total strength of 53.
In significant move Government has decided to deploy Octopus SWAT commandos in neighbouring States too on special request to fight terrorists.
It was also decided to go for new recruits every year with 20 per cent replacement to make OCTOPUS look young and strong where they are trained Ex-National Security Guard, para commandos. Commandos
will serve only for five years in the unit and a training reserve will also be maintained. Octopus will have Snipers, Hit commandos, armourers, breechers as part of SWAT.
Octopus will have a linguist who can translate the Arabic and Urdu material as well as negotiate during hostage crisis. Doctors and paramedics to help the commandos kept fit and treat them not only during the operations but also during regular training. Octopus will be headed by Additional DG or IG rank official with three more IPS officials manning operation, training and administration wings.
The Counter Intelligence Cell will have an investigation wing which will also take up Mafia cases along with terror incidents. An additional SP will lead the Investigation wing. All the terror cases now with
Octopus including Indian Mujahideen Twin blasts case, Tehreek Galba E Islam terror suspect Viqaruddin case will be transferred to CI cell police station.
CI cell technical wing will also have web hackers whose prime duty is to crack into the enemy communication and networks.
CI cell will get 577 executive strength drawn from Octopus in addition to 326 existing officers. Planting mules, bugging and recording will be taken up by CI cell.
Counter Intelligence will have field intelligence, technical intelligence including forensic and cyber forensic division, surveillance, Research and Analysis wing including data centre, investigation and prosecution
cell, Administration and logistics cell. Field intelligence units will be located in all four police commissionarates, district and range headquarters. CI cell will be headed by an IG under whom command
and control centre operates as well as DIG or SP rank officials for intelligence and analysis wing and SP or Additional SP for administration wing.
The proposal was pending from 2007 and materialised on Wednesday where the redundancy of work is avoided between Octopus and CI cell.
Octopus will deal with the terror threats that arise of using of Improvised Explosive Devices in public place, hostage situation and firing on the public with focus on urban centres. Octopus will have operations, training and administration wings. Both Octopus and CI cell officer shall be paid additionally 50 per cent more.

Maoists influence in and around Delhi

By U Sudhakar Reddy
Maoist activities in and around Delhi is now a big concern for the anti naxal agencies. Intelligence officials found that the recent violent agitations of sanitation workers in Delhi has Maoist influence. At least 30 leaders of CPI Maoists were arrested in and around Delhi in the past one and half year.
According to sources in the State intelligence department three Central Committee members and two state committee members and other naxal leaders were arrested in Delhi.
Mr Kobad Gandhi, Gopal Mishra in charge of Delhi State Committee, Dr Pankaj of Central Committee along with 13 other Underground naxals were among those arrested.
A senior police official of State police headquarters said ,"they are not only using Delhi as shelter zone but stepped up their activities. This poses serious threat to VIP security. We are also suspecting the naxal
hand in the recent violent agitations. Gopal Mishra was working under the guise of trade union leader,"
Delhi is part of North Regional Bureau of CPI Maoists. The arrested leaders include Balraj alias Arvind is a member of the Central Committee and in-charge of the North Regional Bureau and  Banshidhar alias Chintan Da of Central Committee.
The North Regional Bureau f the Maoists oversees the revolutionary movement in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and three Union Territory areas.
In July first week 12 policemen including two Station House officer were injured and 30 vehicles damaged when safai karamcharis resorted to violence at Najafgarh demanding permanent jobs and payment of
wages. The incident took place in the premises of Municipal Corporation of Delhi.
"the mob was so violent they went on rampage. We are suspecting that the motivating factors could be left wing extremist elements. They beat the cops black and blue. We have specific inputs that the Maoist have
stepped up their activities in and around Delhi as part of strengthening their urban squads," said a police official.

Oldest Indian wild ass dies in captivitiy at Nehru Zoo

The Oldest wild ass Rathi died on Saturday in Nehru Zoological Park. Rathis was 33 year old and it was the longest surviving Indian wild ass species as per the records.
According Zoo education officer Mr Vara Prasad the life span of wild ass in captivity is around 20 years.
“Rathi was boren in Shakkarabagh zoo in Junagadh in Gujarath in 1977. A pair of male and femal ass Rathi was brough to Hyderabad zoo in 1980. The male wild ass died in 1987.
Rathi was single since then till it died on Saturday for 23 years. It is a rare species as it is now found only in Rann of Kutch in Gujarat,” said Mr Vara Prasad.
He added ,”earlier it was found in Aghanistan and Baluchistan and now endangered. The proposal to translocate them in Thar desert in Rajasthan didn’t take off,”Zoo officials mourned the death of Rathi and paid tributes to it. “It died a natural death,” said the officials.

Ageing hits Maoists in Andhra

By U Sudhakar Reddy
Ageing has hit CPI Maoists from Andhra Pradesh who are now still underground. Around 174 CPI Maoists are now above 35 years and are considered not fit for guerilla warfare.

According to the latest Wanted List of CPI Maoists approved by the State government 408 UG naxals are wanted for the State police. Out of this figure around 28 are killed or arrested or surrendered before the government approved the list after the proposals are sent by the State police.

Around 60 Maoists are above 46 year old as per the list. Most of the Maoists from AP are working in Dandakarnya, Chattisgarh, Andhra Orissa Border, Orissa and a few of them in West Bengal, Karnataka and Maharasthra.
An official of State home department said,”As there are no new recruitments except around 37 from Vishakapatnam there are hardly any new entrants in the State into the left wing extremist movement. This resulted in ageing. They all have to be given less action oriented works. As their physical fitness don’t permit it is difficult to take up guerilla warfare,”
Even many of these old generation naxals are suffering with gastric and knee related diseases.
The wanted list has only one Maoist with Post graduation qualification and three professional courses and 16 graduates. Around 41 of them had primary education, 28 are SSC holders and 25 intermediate and around 25 are illiterate and the Status of 266 is not known.
Warangal tops the list with 84 wanted naxals followed by Vishakaptnam rural with 62 and then with Karimnagar 60 and Adialabad 35.
Nellore and Chittoor has only one naxal each. Seven of the Central Committee members are from Karimnagar and 17 State committee rank naxals and 19 district committee secretary ranks Maoists are from Warangal district.
Central Committee rank naxals carry a reward of Rs 12 lakh and State committee of Rs 10 lakh and the lowest is a dalam member of Rs 20,000.
Maoist supreme Mupalla Laxman Rao alias Ganapati (central committee secretary) is the longest serving with 35 years in the party followed by Katakam Sudarshan for 30 years and Mallojula Koteswara Rao alias Kishenji, Mallojula Venugopal alias Sonu for 29 years each.


Age profile of Underground cadre naxals
25 years and below 62
26-30 years 58

31-35 years 72

36-40 years 66

41-45 years 48

46-50 yrs 29

51-55 yrs 24

55 yrs above 7

Not known 42

Law of Torts : What action on cops in torture case?

By U Sudhakar Reddy
The traumatised victims of police torture in the Mecca Masjid blast case have approached the court demanding compensation from the State government for the nightmarish experience they had to undergo.

They are also seeking action against the guilty police personnel for ruining their lives and careers and for causing unending distress to their families.
Though the Law of Torts is not as strong in India as in other countries, there have been several instances wherein courts have granted compensation to the victims of police torture.
“We have filed a petition in the city civil court as per Law of Torts,” said the senior advocate, Mr Shafeeq Rahman Mahajir, who is fighting the case for the torture victims. “Our contention is that the police had put unnecessary blame on these innocent youth and their rights were violated at the instance of the State. So the State is liable to compensate them.”
The advocate said the demand was for Rs 20 lakh as compensation to each of 20 boys illegally detained and framed by the police. “We also asked for an unspecified amount for the mental trauma and dislocation suffered by the families,” said Mr Mahajir. “We have urged court to recover the entire compensation amount from those who illegally detained the youth."
He said that the court should ideally attach the assets of police officers facing the charge of torture to teach them a lesson and to give an example to other cops. "We have cited a High Court order in an earlier case where Rs 32,000 per day was awarded as interim relief to those detained by the police illegally,” said the advocate. “Some of the boys from the city were detained in jail for 18 months in the Mecca Masjid case.”
The court is now awaiting the responses from the defendants — the government and police officers — in the case. Reacting to the development, the former director general of police, Mr Pervaram Ramulu, cautioned the police to be alert while dealing with major cases such as blasts. “The police should act only when they have evidence and should not rush to conclusions,” he said. “Superior officers should not put pressure on investigating officers to show results.”
“Investigators must be doubly careful or the reputation and life of people will be damaged,” said another former DGP, Mr Swarnjit Sen, who added that such cases were rare and the Hyderabad police usually went about their probes in a scientific manner. “Police in this case violated National Human Rights Commission and Supreme Court guidelines on arrest and detention,” said the human rights advocate, Mr Lateef Khan. “They targeted the entire Muslim community.”

Police torture: Other side of Mecca Masjid blast case probe

By U Sudhakar Reddy
Syed Imran Khan, 26, can’t sleep at night. When he finally slips into a fitful slumber, he sees hooded policemen approaching him with batons. Screaming ‘mat maro, mat maro,’ he wakes up bathed in sweat.

Likewise, Abdul Raheem, a 30-year-old trader, shudders when he recalls the buzz of the electric wires which police used to give repeated shocks to his genitals in a torture chamber where he was kept blindfolded for hours and days.
Another youth, a Unani doctor, urinated blood after hours of torture only to have a leering cop tell him, “What does it matter to a dying man?”
These are just few of the dozens of Muslim youth picked up and tortured by Hyderabad cops in their excessively zealous and lopsided investigation after the Mecca Masjid blast of May 18, 2007.
There was no sifting of evidence, no objective probe to find out who triggered the blast, just a blind latching on to the ‘Islamic terrorist’ tag and Gestapo-like operations in the dead of the night to round up bewildered and clueless youth from their beds.
Blindfolded, they were kept in isolated farm houses in the outskirts of the city. Chained and tortured for days together, the traumatised youth were finally forced to give confessional statements that they were behind the blasts.
But as the slogan of Satyameva Jayate emblazoned on the caps and shoulders of these senior cops indicates, truth did triumph at last. It has now become evident that the Muslim youth had nothing to do with the blast, which was the handiwork of a Hindu right wing outfit.
But truth became the biggest casualty in the initial investigation of the blast when cops acted in a brutal manner without even considering the illogical nature of their assumption that Muslim youth would trigger a blast in the Mecca Masjid.
* * *
18 months in jail, for no fault
Syed Imran Khan, 26, engineering student

Three days after the Mecca Masjid blast, on May 21, around 80 to 90 policemen surrounded my house at Hasmathpet in Bowenpally. They spread over the entire locality — like they were trying to nab a big terrorist. I was about to sleep after dinner when they dragged me from my house saying that I, along with my uncle Shoaib Jagirdar from Jalna in Maharashtra, had conspired with one Nayeem alias Sameer, who was allegedly caught on the Bangladesh border.
I was doing my third year engineering after finishing school from Kendriya Vidyalaya. I played cricket and volleyball for my college. I was also working part-time as a phone banking officer for ICICI.
The cops booked two false cases against me — a conspiracy case and one for stocking RDX. The cops said that I knew how to transfer funds and I was apparently instrumental in aiding terrorists. After picking me up, they took me to a farm house in the city outskirts. Over the next 10 days of illegal custody, they gave electric shocks to my private parts. They then released me stating I was innocent. However, again in June, they caught me and subjected me to narco tests.
Though the court had given permission for a single test, they conducted it twice. The second time they gave me an overdose of narcotics. Many police officials were in the narco room. They didn’t give me a chance to speak. The police say Nayeem had visited our house. He had come with my uncle Jagirdar for a meal. I don’t know anything about him and his whereabouts. But the name Nayeem changed my life.
I spent 18 months in jail. I have never seen RDX in my life, but the police claim I had stocked 10 kg of the explosive. After the ordeal, representatives from the National Commission for Minorities visited us and I retook admission with great difficulty at Lords Institute of Engineering and Technology to complete my studies. I still wake up often at night shivering with fear. I still cry in sleep, sometimes shouting ‘mat maro, mat maro’.
The police changed my image to that of a goon. My family too suffered. My dad ran from pillar to post while I was in custody and my mother was inconsolable. I lost three years of my academic career. Advocate Muzafarulla Khan stood by me and helped me to fight my case. I still have faith in the CBI. They were supportive and told me I was innocent. The cops, who called me a terrorist, should call a press conference and announce I am innocent and that I was implicated in a false case.
* * *
I was threatened to confess Mohammed
Rayeesuddin, 27, electrician

I was a witness when the Gujarat police shot dead my friend Saleem Mujahid in front of the DGP’s office in October 2004. Since then I have been under police scanner.
Shahed Bilal is from our locality and we knew him since childhood. When the police asked me if I knew Bilal I said ‘yes’ and this answer changed my life for the worse. The police implicated me in a case of conspiracy. Is it a crime that I hail from the same locality where Shahed Bilal was born and brought up?
After the Mecca Masjid blast in 2007, the police asked me to visit the Special Investigation Cell office in connection with the Saleem Mujahid case. Instead, they asked me who was behind Mecca Masjid blast.
I told them it could be some right wing groups as no Muslim would do it. They released me. Three months later they caught me again after the twin blasts in Lumbini Park and Gokul Chaat. This time they tortured me in their camps in Premavatipet near the Greyhounds office. They shifted me to three-four farm houses.
I was then produced in court on the false charge of conspiracy. They branded me as Bilal’s associate but the court acquitted me. Even after three years I still suffer from several health problems due to the torture and narco-analysis test. Recurrent severe headaches have made my life miserable. The police detained me illegally for eight days. I also spent six months in jail. I lost my job at the jewellery shop where I was working. I am now working as an electrician.
But the police hound me even now. They continue to ask whether I knew Viqar Ahmed. They came to me after some persons fired at policemen at Shah Ali Banda. I don’t know who Viqar is. I was, however, a witness to the Mecca Masjid blast. I helped the injured but the police implicated me. They put a revolver to my temple and threatened me to confess that I was involved in the blast.
* * *
Nobody wants to marry me
Abdul Raheem, 30, provision store owner

On September 3, 2007, a police inspector called me up. I was an auto driver then. He asked me who had carried out the blast at Mecca Masjid. After the Lumbini Park blast the police called me again. This time they took me to a camp in Gandipet.
When we reached, I saw they were already beating several boys in the farm house. The police subjected me to abuses, beat me with iron pipes and gave me electric shocks. There were around 40 people in the camp and in our room there were perhaps four or five of us but I am not certain as I was always blindfolded. I could hear others crying for help as the police tortured them.
I used to shiver when I heard the sound of their boots come towards me. After five days in the camp I was taken to jail.
My marriage, which was scheduled at that time, was cancelled and after the ordeal no one wanted to give their daughter’s hand to me despite the fact that we had been staying in Malakpet locality for 20 years. After this episode we shifted to Chandrayangutta. Initially there too no one wanted to marry me and with great difficulty could we convince them.
I am not a member of any organisation and there are no other cases against me. I spent five months in jail for no fault of mine and the court acquitted me. My mother by then had already suffered two strokes and I still suffer from health problems.

* * *

I was subjected to third degree methods
Dr Ibrahim Ali Junaid, 28 years, Unani doctor

I was a third year BUMS student at Government Nizamia Tibbi Unani College which is situated just opposite Mecca Masjid. On May 18, 2007, I was at the Masjid offering Friday prayers when the blast occurred. I found several people injured including one of my professors, whom I shifted to the hospital.
Two days after the blast I got a call from the Special Investigation Cell. They detained me at the Secunderabad Task Force office and interrogated me till evening. They asked some strange and defamatory questions like, ‘why do you grow a beard?’ They also said, “You Muslims can only do this kind of blasts”.
They never suspected the right wing groups. They picked me up from my house, blindfolded me and and harassed me for three to four days. One of the officers put his revolver to my temple and threatened that I would be killed in an encounter if I did not confess that I was involved in the blast.
The police official told me that it was my last day on earth and asked me if I wanted to eat anything special before I was put to death. Later, they released me.
In August, after the twin blasts I went to Delhi to attend a conference in Hamdard University. After my return on September 3, I was picked up at Yakatpura Railway Station and for a moment I thought someone was kidnapping me. After a 90-minute journey we reached an unknown location in the city outskirts in a farm house where they ran a torture camp.
They stripped me and beat me on the soles of my feet. Third degree methods were adopted. They gave electric shocks to my ears, nose and joints. When I recited verses from the Holy Quran, they gave me electric shocks on my teeth and tongue. There was even blood in my urine. When I told the police about this, they replied ‘marnewale ke liye ye chhoti baat hai’. I feared that I would be killed in an encounter.
The police also questioned me why I went to the State Human Rights Commission along with the rights activists in the Sohrabuddin case. Later I was taken for a narco analysis test. I was subjected to the test for eight hours and for a week I couldn’t come out of the after-effects of the narco test. Later, they arrested me officially in the case and I was in jail for five months.
After my release the college refused to re-admit me. I approached the AP High Court and was allowed to write the exams. Then they said I did not have the requisite attendance to write the exams. I lost one precious year of my career.
The police, however, continued to visit my college and my home. I worked part time in a private hospital where intelligence sleuths came and questioned the hospital staff. During elections the police asked me for a “bound over”.
They had foisted two cases against me. One case related to the burning of a pandal on graveyard land in 2003. The court had acquitted me in this case. Again in 2007 they arrested me in a conspiracy case. This case was also cleared by the court. I asked the police that when there were no cases pending against me why should I be “bound over.” I appealed to the State Election Commissioner and following this, the police didn’t come back to me.
After my name cropped up in the blast case, none of my relatives came to our house and even our neighbours and friends stayed away from us. We were ostracised from the community.
(The writer met these men who narrated their spine chilling experience

CBI nabs Mecca Masjid blast suspects

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy
The Central Bureau of Investigation arrested two activists of a Hindu group for triggering the Mecca Masjid blast.

In all, five persons were killed in the blast that took place on May 18, 2007. Following this, the court issued prisoners transit warrant for Devender Gupta and Lokesh Sharma and ordered the CBI to produce them. They are now in Ajmer jail in connection with Ajmer Darga blast and are likely to be brought to the city on Monday.
The CBI alleged that these two accused conspired to carry out the explosion in Mecca Masjid and aided the others.
They also purchased SIM cards and mobile phone devices which were e used in the bomb placed in the masjid. Devender used a fake driving license to buy the SIM cards.
The CBI has established the Mecca Masjid and Ajmer blasts were part of single conspiracy. According to the CBI prosecutor, the bombs used in the blast were made by Sandeep Dange and Ramchandra Kaslangara alias Ramji Kalsangara.
The two bomb experts come to the city two months ahead of the blast and stayed here. The CBI thinks they made the bombs using RDX and planted two of them Mecca Masjid and two in Ajmer.
Sandeep and Ramchandra are absconding and a manhunt is on to nab them. The CBI is also looking into the role of Swami Ashimanand in the case.