2008: An Year Of Tragedy

(The story goes like a narrative line, narrated by the main lead JCP Krishna)

This year is 2020. Many had been put under lockdown due to the COVID-19 Pandemic outbreak. But, I am having nothing to go and do my duty outside the place, because my work is within the cybercrime network. But, the lockdown which has been issued now makes me remember a tragic incident that took place in 2008, an incident that shattered my whole life before 12 years.

At that time, I felt why should I choose this IPS job. Before coming to IPS, when I was in the training, nothing proved to be difficult or frustrating. But, when I stepped as the ACP of Mumbai under the Crime Branch, I got a real challenge. From 2003-2005 I suffered a number of hurdles. Because in those years, Mumbai suffered a number of bomb blasts.

Out of fear, I took a transfer to Ahmedabad in Gujarat, when my love interest Hasini, requested to take a transfer to Ahmedabad. But, here also I have to face a challenge. But, I managed to cope out with all those things. I was having a happy journey until, 2008 which got a major turn-over in my life.

Like Mumbai in 2008 and the Bangalore blasts, the attacks are made common in Ahmedabad by the Indian Mujahideen. The attacks took away my love interest sadly on 26.07.2008 at 6:45 PM (IST) and I was upset for three days.

I was promoted to DCP and after that, I had been asked to take on the investigation behind the bomb blasts in Ahmedabad. As per the reports of bomb blasts, they were planted in Tiffin Carriers on bicycles, similar to May 2008 Jaipur Bombings. Places like the Transport service and famous places were attacked in Ahmedabad.

However, to luck, our police department manages to defuse bombs in Surat and two more explosives in a car and two live bombs were also retrieved from Maninagar, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's constituency at that time.

We also collected the mail information regarding the attacks, where the terrorists of Mujahideen groups claimed responsibility for the attacks. Many more, they have also threatened Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and his deputy, R.R.Patil regarding the attacks and also made them remember the 11.07.2006 attacks. In further, businessmen like Mukesh Ambani and Bollywood actors were also threatened.

Later on, I started a parallel investigation regarding the attacks. Some claimed from Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami for the responsibility of blasts. But, indeed, Indian Mujahideen was responsible for the bomb blasts. We got an informer through doctor's help, who informed to us regarding the person, who told to his men in a phone that, "Bangalore was a failure, however, Ahmedabad will be successful and we will celebrate if god wishes." The guy is told to be 30-34 years of age, seemingly an educated person.

In another parallel Investigation, a person claimed to have received two phone calls around 8:00 PM IST. In one of the phone calls, it was told that the caller said, "Ejaz, has the job been done?" In addition, both stolen Maruti Wagon R models with vehicle license plates reading "GJ-6-CD 3569" and "GJ-5-CD 2908" were also found in Surat. One of the cars, which had four live bombs had been defused. In addition, near Nupur Hospital, a wooden box with white powder, wires, a battery, and shrapnel was also found. The suspects were brought to Ahmedabad and Surat.

On 30.07.2008, when I and Inspector Vikash(the encounter specialist in Ahmedabad Branch) investigated the CCTV footage, we learned that the footage of the driver of one of the cars used for the bombings. Later, when I investigated the case with another police officer, ACP Nawaz Khan(who was present in the bomb blasts of Ahmedabad near the transport service office) on 04.08.2008, we learned the use of LPG cylinders for the blasts. The crates in which the bombs were planted were made from locally purchased woods, which we claimed sooner.

Initially, we suspected Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami. But, later we also suspected the organization Lashkar-e-Toiba where the main suspects like Rasool Khan, Yakoob Khan Pathan, Sohail Khan, and Irfan Lala, are suspected to be key operatives in the either of organization.

On 29.07.2008, I with the ACP Nawaz Khan and Inspector Vikash detained three suspects Abdul Qadir, Hasil Mohammaed, and Hussain Ibrahim, near Limdi on Rajkot-Ahmedabad highway in Surendranagar district, while they were leaving Ahmedabad soon after the blasts.

The next day on 30.07.2008, we learned from the Rediff reporters that, the Intelligence Bureau suspected two men namely, Rasool Khan Parti and Mohammad Sufiya Ahmed Patangiya, who is currently living at Faarahan Arcade Gulistan in Karachi were the masterminds behind both the Ahmedabad and the 2008 Bangalore serial blasts. These guys are the members of Harkat-ul-Jihadi-al-Islami. After having a number of suspicions on criminals behind the attacks, we finally arrested Maulana Abdul Halim, a suspected Students Islamic Movement of India activist. He was alleged to be involved in instigating the Muslim youth after the 2002 Gujarat riots and sending them to Uttar Pradesh for terror training. He was remanded for 14-day police custody by the Metropolitan Magistrate in Ahmedabad and charges of sending 33 youths for terror training to Pakistan in 2003 are also laid against him.

Shortly, after the arrests, I and my team arrested Mufti Abu Bashir and nine others, in connection to the bombings on 15.08.2008. After this on 24.10.2008, a SIMI activist, Abdul Razik Mansuri, a resident of Nagda District in Madhya Pradesh, had been arrested along with Harun Rashid. After this, my senior police officer JCP Ashish Choudary said: "He was arrested from the Nagda district in Madhya Pradesh by our team. He was there staying with some of his relatives. We have brought him to Ahmedabad for interrogation." He added that Mansuri was likely to be produced before the court in Ahmedabad to be remanded to judicial custody.

Some terrorists in Madhya Pradesh were arrested namely, Qayamuddin Kapadia. After this, on 13.11.2008, the brother of the key accused as mentioned above, Rafiuddin Kapadia was arrested. It nearly took 43 days for us to arrest him. JCP Ashish reported that "We have arrested Rafiuddin Kapadia, brother of Qayamuddin. He was present at the SIMI training camp in Halol near Vadodara. He originally hails from Vadodara and was arrested today from Ahmedabad by the crime branch officials."

Shortly after this, on March 26, 2012, Maharashtra police officials arrested one blast suspect Mohammed Abrar Babu Khan in an encounter in Sambhajinagar, headed by DSP Prathap Choudary and his teammates encounter specialist, ASP Kiran Singh Rathore, Inspector Nazim, and Inspector Anjali Reddy IPS. Khaleel Qureshi was killed by Nazim in an encounter. These guys are alleged to be members of Indian Mujahideen terrorist groups. A police constable too got injured during the fighting.

On 19.07.2016, four years back, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad, arrested Nasir Rangrez from Belgaum after a chase for 8 years. After the blasts, legal cases raised and similarities of Bangalore bombings were found with the Ahmedabad bombings. In addition, further threats came from the terrorists through e-mail, who told that Kerala, Surat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Kolkata, and New Delhi. Reactions came from various sides like President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Vice-president Hamid Ansari, Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who condemned the bomb blasts and appealed for calm. Many opposition parties like Bharatiya Janata Party condemned the blasts and both states Gujarat and Rajasthan should be allowed to go for their own anti-terror legislation.

Finally, everything came towards peaceful and calm situations. But, will the dead souls come back or my dead lover will come back? Who is responsible for these terrorist attacks? Government or People? If Hindu-Muslims are united, these kinds of problems could be avoided.

But, has it happened? No. Even after revoking the special constitutions for Kashmir and planning to prevent the attacks, some attacks usually happen. Today, I am serving as the JCP of the Coimbatore district. Even now, I am informed that Muslims are spreading Coronavirus among people, as a grudge against the government.

If strict actions are not taken against terrorism and other problems in the society, the attacks of Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Varanasi, Delhi, and Hyderabad will continue to happen in other forms. (End of Krishna's narrative mode of the line)

Later on, ACP Ram Prathap Naidu, the ACP of Coimbatore, calls DSP Krishna and asks, "Sir. Shall I meet you now?"

"Yes. You can come now" said Krishna gladly.

After meeting him, Ram salutes Krishna for his immortal service during the attacks in Ahmedabad, while he smiles and exits from the place.

The story has been dedicated to all those sincere police officers, who worked hard to arrest and eliminate the terrorists who attacked our important places like Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Varanasi, Vijayawada, and Coimbatore. Let's respect the police officers and the Indian Army, who are the real heroes of this country…