Wednesday, Feb 26, 2003
Wednesday, Feb 26, 2003 |
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Andhra Pradesh
By Our Special Correspondent
He was non-committal on the BJP's demand for a ban on Darsgah-e-Jehad-o-Shahdat (DJS), saying CID investigation was in progress into the series of 10 murders in Ranga Reddy district and necessary action would be taken at the appropriate time. But, on the BJP's insistence, he read out names of some of the victims. Warding off criticism of police officers' inefficiency and intelligence failure, he stoutly defended them. The Minister was replying to a two-hour-long debate on the "illegal activities of the DJS and the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and killing of innocent people, with active support of ISI.'' N. Indrasena Reddy (BJP) and 25 others raised the issue under Rule 304. Mr. Goud said there was no need for the CBI inquiry into bomb explosion at the temple as the State CID was competent enough. It had already got significant breakthroughs and information was being shared with the Centre and other States. A magisterial inquiry was on. As for those involved in the murder of 10 persons, a special court would try them, in an open trial. He said the blast near the temple, the series of murders and the method adopted in the killings them and the involvement of the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), were all matters of grave concern. Of the six bombs placed in a scooter near the temple, only one went off. Two died and 19 were injured. Had all the six bombs exploded and had the lorry not been there, about a hundred people would have lost their lives. The Government would deal with all those involved in these incidents sternly. It was wrong to attribute such incidents to any religious group, he said. It was the handiwork of a few misguided youth. At one point, he caused a stir by his comment that though they were Muslims, they were anti-Muslim as their intention was to foment communal trouble, in which again minorities were the victims. The MIM leader, Asaduddin Owaisi, took strong objection for taking the name of the community. Referring to Mr. Owaisi's charge that there was not much of evidence against the two, Azam and Aziz, who were killed in the encounter, he said the police were in possession of adequate proof. Aziz had gone to Saudi Arabia in 2001 and later to Pakistan where he underwent training in a LeT camp. He then crossed over to India with nine others. There was no entry in his passport about his arrival in India. He was in contact with Abdul Bari, incharge of LeT's countrywide operations barring Kashmir. In the murder cases, the Ranga Reddy police arrested five persons who confessed to the crime. The modus operandi adopted by the accused was to pick up people from bus stops in their cars, take them to remote places, rob and kill them by slitting their throats. The murders came to light after two persons managed to escape. Police investigation pointed to the involvement of some of the DJS activists. Cadres of the LeT were responsible for the temple blast. Two of the accused died in an exchange of fire with the police. On information furnished by Andhra Pradesh, other LeT cadres based in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra were arrested recently.
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