NAGAR WALA

THE STORY STARTS FROM The mystery of Rs 60 lakh disappearance began around 10.45 am on May 24, 1971. The State Bank of India at New Delhi's Parliament Street Chief Cashier, Ved Prakash Malhotra, gets a telephone call purportedly from the Prime Minister's secretariat asking him to pay out Rs. 60 lakhs. P.N. Haksar, Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, is on the line asking him to withdraw the money. “I will put you through to the PM for full instructions,” he says, and, after a brief pause, Mrs Gandhi comes on the line. The purported voice of the PM tells him, “Take out the money and drive a little distance from the bank where a man will come to you. His code word is ‘Bangladesh Ka Babu’. You reply with ‘Bar-at-law’, and then deliver the full amount.” Malhotra calls the Deputy Chief Cashier, Ram Prakash Batra. He instructs him to load Rs. 60 lakhs in a cash box. Batra is then joined by a colleague, H.R. Khanna, and they complete the formalities for withdrawal of such a large sum of money. Another Deputy Head Cashier, Rawal Singh, who is in charge of cash, signs the relevant register and asks for a payment voucher to be made for the transaction. Batra tells him Malhotra, not he, will sign the voucher. The money is then packed into a trunk AND loaded into the bank's official car. Malhotra drives it away himself and stops the car a little distance away from the bank. A tall, wiry, fair-complexioned man with a beard approaches him and gives the code word. He is Rustom Sohrab Nagarwala. He gets into the car. They drive to a taxi stand at the junction of Sardar Patel Road and Panchsheel Marg. Nagarwala takes the cash trunk and asks Malhotra to collect voucher. from the Prime Minister's house . After the call The cashier did not crosscheck the demand before the money was given but ,when he went to the Prime Minister’s residence to get a receipt. Sleuths swung into action when the cashier told police of the fraud, on the advice of the Prime Minister’s principal secretary, Mr Haskar, and recovered the money the same day and nabbed the alleged caller. The call was allegedly made by Rustom Sohrab Nagarwala, a former intelligence agent. Nagarwala and the policeman investigating the case were later found murdered and the case remains unsolved.

Police took up the investigation and a team led by D.K. Kashyap, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Inspector Hari Dev and Inspector A.K. Ghosh started "Operation Toofan" to apprehend Nagarwala. They tracked the taxi which Nagarwala had first hired. The driver said that he had dropped the passenger in Defence Colony. Further investigation showed that Nagarwala had taken another taxi. at same time on May 24, 1971. The lady crime reporter named Snehalata shukla is told by constable Chauhan : "Daka pad gaya 60 lakh ka sarkari bank Parliament Street main". reporters chased the story. Kashyap as the Investigating Officer handling the case was baffled by the media storm and how the story came out in afternoon newspapers. He got another scolding from seniors. The IG directly called and told him to maintain radio silence on the matter. Thus began the story which has been named the Nagarwala case. The mystery remains unsolved.. At 9.45 p.m. came the news that Nagarwala had been arrested. At midnight the Inspector General of Police told a hurriedly called Press conference that the case had been solved. The police gave out its version.

Death of the IO

 Flash – forward

Haksar is in archives section, he is writing a book on Nagarwala he learns that some of the recordings that Nagarwala read on a Nagra Recorder had been erased by agencies. Haksar telling about the cost of lies/ clanking of typewriters . He says , “It’s not that we’ll mistake them for the truth. The real danger is that if we hear enough lies, then we no longer recognize the truth at all” From the very get-go, the state apparatus is involved in the obfuscation of information – from the masters of the PMO control room to the local thana in Mathura. Nagarwala is beaten up and he starts his confession.. Cops ask haksar , The dakaiti and the nail-biting chase, the chatter is picked by CIA and KGB as a significant event. The delhi police arrests the conman Theft

suspect conman sohrab Nagarwala is taken to a police station, where he is

greeted by angry Delhi Police officers and a huge crowd of journalists. The police interrogate him, but he refuses to answer . After that The action cuts to PN Haksar who is coaching IG who is battling angry and combative opposition leaders Basu and Vajpayee who are working under the guidance of Jai Prakash Narayan. IG is under tremendous pressure as the opposition has called the government coward which is sitting over history’s biggest genocide happening in East Bengal. He was arrested for swindling . Unfortunately, the manager wasn't in the bank that day & a clerk got scared because of the amount involved. the opposition leader says ,“ the government must come clean on this.” Nagarwala’s interrogation continues. it's not the first time has been arrested or jailed.

   Actually this story was going around Sohrab Nagarwala, irrelevant

who is this Nagarwala ?? We have to go back to his early life to understand the story with the initial days of Rustom Nagarwala. Nagarwala was born in 1921 in Mumbai. His father died in his childhood. He and his mother lived with the deceased father’s sister in a modest flat in Parsee Colony. he is seen as a rebellious, but perceptive child raised by two women. His mom and his grandmother. 1930 – Taught values by grandmother …“we parsis have two types of Money…My GrandMother always wished me " Neki na kam karje ne neki na paisa kamavje" do Great Good deeds and earn only money only by doing good deeds , never accept a Rupee or Dollar not earned by sincere Good efforts ..in 1940s He joins British Intelligence and is immediately sent to Japan to serve as an agent under the cover of an English teacher. in 1942 Rash Bihari hands over the Fauj to Subas Chandra Bose at a conference convened in Tokyo. As a young man after the war, Nagarwala is convicted and imprisoned for being a double agent for INA. He belongs to a more aggressive wing of RAW. Haksar always has been ignoring his leads.in 1947 Nagarwala joins Indian Intelligence and is posted to SE Asia where he develops close ties with the emerging regional leadership, while Nagarwala is operating in SE Asia, he meets key aides of rebel Vietnam leader Ho Chi Minh fighting against the US invasion. This leads to him being chased by the CIA

 While living in Vietnam, Nagarwala exposes himself and sends letters in invisible ink to Hun Tao, a Vietnamese revolutionary and handler, providing some actionable intelligence about the CIA’s actions against the Vietnamese commando army. They check it and with Nagarwala’s help foil an attack on their base. Because of this action Nagarwala earned the trust of Ho Chi Minh. Meanwhile also he receives an offer to consult for an American novelist, Jesse Seehorn on the Vietnam War, he sees it as an opportunity to show multiple sides of the War. but , also manages to parley with Ho ChiN Minh. This alerts the CIA.

The American government responds but when the meeting happens it turns out to be

an ambush for Nagarwala, where their own explosives detonate long before they should. There is skepticism as to whether the explosion was a mistake or a conspiracy. since the CIA director greatly dislikes Nagarwala. The CIA doesn’t want the Vietnam war to end. Jesse turns out to be a CIA operative. After he recovers, against CIA insistence that he stay in Dhaka and continue his work as a mole, the narrator refuses and decides to go back to Delhi. After some days goes back to a plush desk job till the situation begins to worsen in Bangladesh. Manekshaw refuses to fight till December. IG leans on other methods. They again get Nagarwala on board who leaves a lucrative desk job at RAW.

 Before his first visit to Dhaka, Haksar makes it clear to Nagarwala that Indira Gandhi is disturbed by the corruption in the secret funds disbursement. This is the first Nagarwala hears of the problem, and over the course of the story he uncovers a major corruption scandal, whereby payoffs and bribes diverted majority of the funds away from real guerilla fighters into East and West Pakistan including local CIA assets, possibly including Pasha, so that Hussein can pocket over $1 billion of the funds.

 A firebrand leader of Chittagong, 21-year-old guerrilla leader from Mymensingh , TIGER siddiqui tries to teach HAKSAR about the realities of diplomacy in a world Before he returns, NAGARWALA executes a Pakistani , "Sanam Ali", who he learns had raped and burnt Hindu families while the narrator was in Hong Kong arranging slush funds.

Now , Money is running out and he wants to go back to Delhi. During his mission in Delhi, he manages to barely save Kushagra’s life. When he is arrested, he confesses to the crime.

            In Mumbai, his family and social circle weakens quickly, disillusioned by the government and their rapid decline in status. other darker wheels are turning against him.

 However, rather than writing what his handlers wish to hear, Nagarwala narrates a complex and nuanced reflection of the events that have led him to his imprisonment. He refuses to show only one side, he leaves nothing out even his painful memories of a childhood. While he still considers himself an Indian, he acknowledges his friendships with those who are supposedly his enemy and he understands all spies as honorably fighting for their home. When his confession drafts are rejected, he is finally brought before the field agent.

 The commissar turns out to be his direct superior Kushagra. First, he must admit his crime of being complicit in the Dacaiti and being led by greed and criminal impulses. Lastly, he learns his final lesson that a revolution fought for independence and freedom of others (in this case a nation) is hollow and meaningless, if he has to die defending his own truth. yes!!!! This is the daring story of a man who stood up for millions of beleaguered Bengali stranded in refugee camps .. in the punishment posting. His job is to covertly extract an ambushed Bengali liberation leader under the nose of a monstrous West Pakistani state.

The way Nagarwala involves them with an alternate point of

view the Delhi police sleuths and field agents get a bit stir that’s why They debate whether torturing Nagarwala is a better idea. In this phase he also has moments where his emotional stability is called into question as the ghosts of his trauma in Vietnam haunt him deeply.. as a history lesson, it's One of the worst genocides in the history of humankind. Rustom Nagarwala is an astounding and inspiring story of heroism, spycraft, resistance, and personal triumph over shocking adversity.

As Nagarwala was not loyal, he went to spy for the British. But later he became fascinated by INA. Since the 60s, the CIA has had a tab on him. His meeting with Ho Chi Minh was especially mysterious. The constant attacks on him left him paralyzed, and so he later decided to teach the CIA operative a lesson. He tails and blackmails , also Sends a message to him in jail but answers no.. At the same time period kgb sends fake transcripts to IG- Haxar calls it bullshit, after that Nagarwala passes away.

Initially is misunderstood and mistrusted by PN HAKSAR, who mocks him at

the beginning. Later after Nagrwala proves his mettle, haksar develops a begrudging respect for him. Haksar starts prevailing upon Nagarwala to be a regular career guy. Gradually Nagarwala grows too big for his boots on Balochistan, when Haksar orders his return to India and threatens to suspend the family allowance he received a desperate Nagarwala first time opens up to the CIA. at this time Nagarwala assists HAKSAR in defusing NAM crises. He engineers Ho Chi minh . His pedigree and access to PMO makes him a target for both KGB and CIA. NAGARWALA call to PMO has been intercepted by the CIA, From then on, the story will chronicle Nagarwala’s thorny relationship with Haksar as his influence in the PMO grows. The double life he leads starts to hurt his upcoming marriage, Despite the sharp division in the Indian politicians on Nagarwala, he gets a monkey trial. while this his Lover hangs herself.

In fact , Nagarwala is a man of peace. While Haksar’ is obsessed with

maintaining IGNagarwala appears to be more concerned about the sacrificed Bengal lives in the genocide. Haksar shuts him down many times. Haksar orders an inquiry on Nagarwala and his flat is bugged. Haksar gives a special topic to nagarwalas assessment and critique of the IG government.

Haksar saves Nagarwala who is brought down by KGB in the end. But he finds nothing on him. However, the KGB plants evidence in his house. Nagarwala never shows any signs of regret or inner torment over his possible betrayal of his country, confirming in the process that India’s cause is just. His ultimate goal is not personal glory, or even money. IG Yahya emerges as a killer: a sane, compassionate, straight-laced leader plunged into a war that was not meant for her. Haksar's main task is to see that the IG remains the voice of reason. Some believe that Nagarwal was killed by KGB intelligence, while his wife insists that the CIA was the real killer. and the strange thing is that , According to accounts from his family, on the day Nagarwala died the only existing copy of his memoirs, which he had almost finished, allegedly went missing. "Even if you tell the truth, no one believes you," Nagarwala says in the film. No one knows the full truth behind the life and death of Nagarwala. We see his growing relationship with Hassan Ali (CIA), his deteriorating relationship with Haksar, and his up-and-down relationship with his RAW handler – AN Bose.

Before he dies he sees a vision of him being with ras bhihari bose- he thinks ye

hamari manzil nahi thii- . ras bhihari bose was an Indian revolutionary leader who fought against the British Empire. He was one of the key organizers of the Ghadar Mutiny and founded the First Indian National Army during World War 2. The Indian National Army(INA) was formed in 1942 under Bose which he later handed over as the Indian National Army to Subhas Chandra Bose. He sends a lump of sugar for Haksar.

In these stories, it doesn’t matter who the heroes are. All we want to know is: Who is to blame?Haksar becomes a proponent of transparency between the commission’s findings and the public in spite of the Indian government’s efforts to downplay Nagwarwala’s death. He says that he would credit Nagarwala as the sole rational, intelligent figure involved in the covert war. Nagarwala won the right to honestly look people in the eye. He made the decisions that helped to limit the impact of the catastrophe that threatened Bangladeshi Hindus.

Rajdhaaniya gher li jaani chahiye aur unhe mansik aspatalo me badal diya jaana chahiye, Never consider a king or a politician your friend else you will repent, Kabhi bhi bhool ke raja ya neta ko apna dost nahi maan na chahiye jisne maana wo pachtaye ga, Aaj jo shatru hai wo mitr ban sakta hai, aur jo mitr hai wo shatru, Rajniti me koi dost nahi hot hai dushman. Dushman do tarah ke hote hai- pratakysha aur doosre chupe hue. Chupe hue se sabse jyada savdhaan rehni ki

zarurat hai. Kuch bahar se hamla karte aur kuch ghar ke hee andar hote hai

By 1970 millions in East Pakistan had been displaced and killed in human historys’ biggest genocide by West Pakistan’s diabolical state machinery. With her options running out soon, around April 1971, Indira Gandhi asked her army chiefs if they could win a war. They said no and bought time till winter to prepare better for a sure win. Till then a covert war strengthening Bangladesh’s mukti army will have to be run. That war needed guns and money and a genius to run it under the nose of the CIA and Pakistan army. The US was Pakistan’s staunch ally and under Nixon and Kissinger they had a special hatred for gutsy Indira Gandhi and India which

was aligned towards the USSR. When IG was looking to----------------------------------------------

So the PMO hired a special agent for help. That agent was Nagarwala who

masterminded modern history's’ most complex money running operation. He not only designed and but also led and ran the sinews of the Special Operations, dubbed as Indira Gandhi's war. He became the first Indian deployed behind enemy lines and--despite his facial paralysis and heart condition from living close to danger from previous missions—he helped to light the flame of the Bengal Resistance, revolutionizing secret warfare for Mukti Vahini by organizing slush top secret funds. Nagarwala had established vast spy networks throughout East Asia which he deployed to call weapons & explosives down from the skies and sea, and became a linchpin for the Bangla Resistance. Nagarwala was almost a special kind of thorn in the CIA's eyes right at the onset of the Vietnam war.

CIA chieftains had toyed with putting out his face covered wanted posters and even a bounty over his head, Nagarwala refused order after order from PMO to evacuate even in most compelling threats. He plunged back in, adamant that he had more lives to save, and led a victorious guerilla campaign along with Tiger Siddiqui, a Bangladeshi freedom fighter. Before the heat got too much, Nagarwala finally escaped through a death-defying run over the Sundarbans, but his cover was blown in Delhi. while in jail grew impatient & started threatening me with names (wrong move!) Nagarwala found himself in such a deep conspiracy, that even if he didn’t threaten to expose anybody, he knew too much; he was a prime target no 1 for elimination.

The

 fast-paced, highly secretive extractions and money couriers caught in death

defying stunts are interplayed with the nail biting wait-and-see game once Nagarwala is in custody in the police up. The spy’s narration throughout the narrative from the fall of Dhaka, to refugee camps and relocation in Hong Kong, to his time as a real estate consultant in South East Asia, and finally to his return and subsequent imprisonment in New Delhi.