The Hindu : Gujarat to strengthen intelligence wing

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 15, 2003

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Gujarat to strengthen intelligence wing

By Manas Dasgupta

GANDHINAGAR April 14. The "threat perception'' to some BJP and VHP leaders is believed to have encouraged the Gujarat Government to consider strengthening the intelligence wing of the State police, mainly to keep a track on the movement of "terrorists".

The proposal to set up a special cell within the intelligence department to concentrate on the activities of suspected terrorists was discussed at a meeting in New Delhi last month on internal security, which was attended by the Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, and Chief Ministers and Home Ministers of various States.

But the Gujarat Government does not want to wait for the formalisation of the proposals before taking the first step.

The communal riots last year have increased the threat perception of some leaders who had an active role in the hate campaign and it was further accentuated by the gruesome murder on March 26 of the former Minister of State for Home and Revenue, Haren Pandya.

If the Pandya murder was committed by the Dawood Ibrahim gang, as suspected by the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, the Gujarat leaders have reasons to feel threatened about the intentions of the terrorist gangs.

To begin with, the State Government proposed to pick up some 50 to 60 relatively more competent officials from the State's police department at various levels and give them special training in intelligence gathering, particularly in trailing suspected terrorists.

The cell would keep a watch on the State's borders with Pakistan and remain in constant touch with various Central intelligence agencies as well as the police of the neighbouring States of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The cell would also be equipped with modern gadgets and advanced communication facilities to match the information disseminating systems developed by terrorist groups.

The project would be funded from the Rs. 100 crore police modernisation fund.

The Pandya murder has not only instilled a fear among various BJP and VHP leaders named for their active role in the communal riots, it has also shaken the confidence of the intelligence department, with various theories being floated about the failure of the intelligence gathering system to prevent such crimes.

It has now been revealed that the State Government was actually cautioned about a possible attack on some political leaders, including Pandya, at least 40 days before the crime.

But the Minister of State for Home, Amit Shah, allegedly took the information lightly.

A resident of the Shah Alam locality in Ahmedabad had, in a letter to the personal secretary of the Minister of State for Defence, Harin Pathak, on February 10, informed him about the arrival in the city of some sharp shooters belonging to the Dawood Ibrahim gang to target about a dozen BJP and VHP leaders to avenge the killing of the minorities in the communal riots. The list of targets, which included the names of Mr. Modi, the VHP State general secretary, Jaideep Patel, the former Home Minister, Gordhan Jhadapia, and a couple of members of the present Modi Ministry and former Ministers and members of the Assembly, besides Pandya.

Police are also looking into how the resident got information about the movements of the Dawood gang members. Mr. Pathak's personal secretary drew his attention to the letter the day he received it. Mr. Pathak, in turn, informed Mr. Shah about it but the State Home Minister did not do anything.

It was only after Pandya's murder on the morning of March 26 that Mr. Pathak reminded Mr. Shah about the letter and Mr. Shah sent it across to the intelligence department for investigation. The top police officers were in the dark about the letter and they insisted repeatedly before the media that there was no "threat perception'' to Pandya.

Mr. Shah, however, while admitting his failure to act on the letter, said he mistook it as a threat to his life and did not think it prudent to kick more dust on the issue, since all others listed in the letter already had enough security cover.

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