how cheap sims help a terror attack

MUMBAI: One more person has been arrested by anti terrorist squad (ATS) for supplying sim cards to terrorists by misusing documents procured by selling sim cards. On Wednesday Rakesh Maria, ATS chief and Additional Director-General told journalists that Shiv kumar Minsinauru is the 9th arrest in the matter.

Shiv Kumar, who ran a Vada Pav stall in Naigao, has been sent to police custody till 1st Feb by Mazgaon court. He ran a vada pav stall in the evenings and during the day time he worked as a driver selling sim to people for Rs30 each.  “They would sell a sim card, loaded with talk time of Rs 40 talk time and collect documents from the people. They would then make 10-15 copies of each document set and apply for many sim cards from many service providers,” Mr Maria said. The police say that Shiv Kumar was working with Ganesh Vitthal Tikone, an MTNL agent in the city.

“They were making over 10,000 photocopies daily of various documents and we have recovered over 2200 photos and documents from the accused…you can imagine the magnitude of the scam,” Mr. Maria had earlier said that Naquee, accused in 13/7 blast case, and his brother were running an outlet of SIM cards in the Madanpura area and they provided these cards to Yasin Bhatkal, a wanted IM operative.

Mr Maria added that the police needed to check the spread of bogus SIM cards as they were posing a major security hazard, “when all number, address and name of the leads are bogus, it hampers the speed of all investigations. Fake or repeatedly used documents can easily be used for new sim cards and none wants to take the responsibility of verification, especially for prepaid customers,” he said.

rushdie dont come..ok come…dont come!!

MUMBAI: Countering the reasons stated by author Salman Rushdie, for cancelling his visit to the Jaipur literary festival, Mumbai police has denied having any information about paid assassins or underworld threat to the author. Author Salman Rushdie, in a statement read out at the Jaipur Literature Festival said that he had been told by intelligence sources in Maharashtra and Rajasthan that ‘paid assassins’ from the Mumbai underworld may be on their way to Jaipur to eliminate him.

The celebrated/banned author was invited to be a part of the jaipur literature festival, which he attend in 2008 as well, this year however his invitation came with mixed feelings of welcome and caution. while no one is ready to take responsibility of being the ones who warned him against coming.
“We do not have any information suggesting that underworld is planning to harm Rushdie,” Deputy Police Commissioner (Crime) Nisar Tamboli said. He refused to comment further regarding any security threats to Mr Rushdie or the Jaipur literary festival. Author of the banned novel “The Satanic Verses” tweeted on his micro blogging site- “Very sad not to be at Jaipur. I was told Bombay mafia don issued weapons to 2 hit men to “eliminate” me. Will do video link instead. Damn.”

Rushdie’s written statement did not clarify on the source of the information but cited the threat as the main reason for not coming. “While I have some doubts about the accuracy of this intelligence, it would be irresponsible of me to come to the festival in such circumstances; irresponsible to my family, to the festival audience and to my fellow writers.”

Hindrance alleged in gathering information on Supriya Sule

A day after trial started in the Bombay High court seeking to determine whether Supriya Sule, Member of Parliament and daughter of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, owed adherence or allegiance to a foreign country, an application was submitted alleging hindrance in collecting information due to unfair influence.

The applicant, Mrunalini Kakade, claimed that the information sought from sources was not being furnished because of Ms. Sule’s father who “is a highly influential person with the government agencies.” The application filed in the court stated that a request was sent to the Councillor officer of the Singapore Consulate in Mumbai and the Emigration and Check-point authorities in Singapore but both claimed to be “unable to accede to the request” of providing information about the citizenship of Ms. Sule. The application also demanded that the Singapore Consulate be asked to produce oral evidence and documents with respect to the case.

The initial petition stated that Ms. Sule’s election be declared null and void, as she was a non-Indian after acquiring citizenship of Singapore by buying property there. On Thursday, during cross-examination by Ms. Sule’s advocate, Ms. Kakade told the court that she had had no documentary evidence to show that Ms. Sule personally owned immovable properties in a foreign country adding that she had proof to show that Ms. Sule’s husband Sadanand owned properties.

Ms. Sule had previously sought dismissal of the petition that demanded her disqualification from election with regard to dispute over her citizenship. The High Court dismissed her application in December 2011 saying that the Central government had decided that Ms. Sule was an Indian citizen and had not acquired citizenship of Singapore, but it (the government) had not decided whether she owed adherence or allegiance to any foreign country. According to Singaporean law, a person has to be a citizen of that country to be able to purchase property.

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• Trial to determine whether she owes allegiance to foreign country
• Applicant sought Sule’s election as MP to be declared null and void

Alistair Pereira surrenders

Alistair Pereira, who was convicted of mowing down seven persons in 2006, surrendered before the Mumbai police on Friday.

Over a week after the Supreme Court upheld his conviction and cancelled his bail, he was finally sent to prison. Last Monday he appeared at the Khar police station to surrender but could not be arrested as neither the police nor any court had received the Supreme Court order that cancelled his bail.

The court had cancelled Pereira’s bail and directed him to “forthwith” surrender for undergoing the remaining sentence as awarded by the High Court in 2007. He was sent home after he promised that he would surrender when the local authorities received the certified copy of order from the court.

“Pereira surrendered before us on Friday morning. The Sewri Court had issued a non bailable warrant (NBW) against him on Thursday evening,” Mangesh Pote, Senior Inspector at Khar Police Station, told reporters.

On January 12, the Supreme Court upheld the three-year jail term awarded to Pereira, for running over seven persons sleeping on the pavement in Bandra.

Costa Concordia survivors reach home:devastated but determined

MUMBAI: Twenty three Indians rescued from the ill-fated Italian Cruise line Costa Concordia, that slammed in to a reef off the Italian island of Giglio, reached Mumbai on Thursday evening.

It was an emotional reunion for the survivors, most of who were working on the ship as crew members. “It was surreal, can’t describe what it looks or feels like,” Rahul Raghav (25) said. Like other survivors he too left all his belongings – including his passport and other identity papers – on the ship before abandoning it. “He called us up to say that he was alright but I was very restless, now that I have seen him I am reassured,” an emotional Renu Raghav said.

The Costa Concordia was carrying more than 4,200 people when it ran aground shortly after starting a seven-day Mediterranean cruise on its way to Marseille in France and Barcelona in Spain. Eleven people have been confirmed dead and 23 are still missing, out of the 202 Indians on board only one person is missing. “Many people jumped, some sought seats in boats calmly but amidst the panic we had no idea what was the right thing to do…survicv

Ursula and John Pinto waited for over four hours at the airport to greet their son Patrick, “He told us that very moment that the ship is sinking. He said that he will take care but I could barely breath until he called us to say that he was safe in a hotel,” Ursula said as she recollected how she heard of the news. “The sight was unbelievable and so were the reactions, we were just running from here to there trying to do the safest thing that we could… it was a very difficult time. I don’t know the reasons why it happened but if could have been avoided, many lives could have been saved and many people would not have had the trauma of a near death experience,” Patrick said.
The families thanked the external affairs ministry for setting up help desks at the airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad,” Not only did they ensure that we are informed, the arranged or our children to reach us within days despite not having the passport. I have been told that the embassies were taking care of the survivors and provided them with some money. We are very grateful to them for helping them come back home,” Satish Kumar, relative of a survivor said.

Even though the mere mention of the accident brings back horrible memories the survivors said they would go back to the sea, “No doubt it was a horror scene but that does not mean that I will not go back. When there are blasts in local train we don’t stop taking the trains,” Patrick Pinto said as he left the airport with his parents for his residence in Thane.

Meanwhile family of the lone missing Indian tried to get in touch with other survivors to enquire about Russell Roberto. “I am happy for the families that are meeting their members, I wanted to ask if anyone can give me information regarding Russell that can help us,” Roberto’s brother in law Vikram Pinto said. The Costa Concordia is lying on its side just meters off the Tuscan island of Giglio and divers are trying to find more survivors. “I understand that there are less chances of him being at the sea but they might have counted him under some country’s survivor list,” Pinto said.(Eom)

hope lingers on for the only one Indian missing

MUMBAI: Family of Rebello Russell Terrance, the only Indian still missing from the crew of Italian liner Costa Concordia that capsized off an island off Tuscan coast, pray for good news as they track news updates and contact officials for information regarding the 33 year old.

Russell was serving as a waiter at the Italian liner Costa Concordia that capsized after it struck a reef on Friday night near the port of Isola del Giglio, an island off the Tuscan coast. The Costa Concordia was carrying more than 4,200 people when it ran aground shortly after starting a seven-day Mediterranean cruise on its way to Marseille in France and Barcelona in Spain. Eleven people have been confirmed dead and 24 are still missing, out of the 202 Indians onboard Russell is the only missing person.

Calm at the Rebello residence at Naigaon, 75 kms from here, is broken only by television announcements of the ship wreck or interviews to press reporters. Four days after the incident Russell Rebello’s parents are hopeful of seeing him soon, “He might be unconscious or in a hospital. They might have counted him under some other county’s list, but he must be ok,” Russell’s mother Gladys said. She is interrupted by Frank who raises his frail voice confidently, “He is alright! He is a fighter, trained to swim and fire fight. I am telling you that my son is fine.”

Gladys and Frank Rebello came to know about the accident on Saturday morning from a BBC news telecast but it was late in the evening that the list of survivors was released.  Many young men of the same area are employee in the same profession hence the neighborhood gathered to share information.  Neighbors arranged for a set top box for the family so they can follow the news related to the mishap on television channels. It was after two days that the family realized that Russell is the only Indian missing from the 202 others aboard the ship. For the last six years, Russell was working as a steward on the liner and had resumed duty after a vacation in October 2011. “He last spoke to us on January 6, wishing us for Christmas and New Year, as he could not call us then. He was to return in June … I am just praying that he is alright and comes home to us,” Gladys said.

Russell’s elder brother Kevin Rebello, who is in Italy reached Giglio Island as soon as he heard of the news. “Kevin has approached all possible agencies for assistance and has been searching for Russell in hospitals and hotels… we are waiting for some positive news.” Vikram Pinto, Russell’s brother in law said.

 Upset about lack of information and the misleading leads by the Mumbai-based recruitment company M/s Air Borne Recruiting Pvt Ltd, which hired the Indian crewmembers the family ontinues to make calls to every source for information. “The recruiting company first told us that Russell was safe and had been admitted to a hospital. Later, they said that he was in a hotel, when we told this to Kevin he rushed to the Tuscan Coast but could not find him,” Vikram Pinto said.

 ”We have not stopped praying since the time the news broke, Now we are hoping to get some positive news from Kevin. But he called on Monday afternoon to say that Russell was nowhere to be found and that the local officials were not cooperating,” Gladys said. “None of the government officials, from Delhi or the Indian embassy in Italy, have contacted us till now. Even the recruiting company is tightlipped about the matter,” Gladys said.

Meanwhile 25 years old Alister Nunes, one of the crewmembers escaped miraculously from the wreck. Alister’s father Hillary Nunes spoke to his son on Saturday afternoon. “We we saw on TV that a ship had sunk in Italy and we couldn’t believe it that Alister was on that ship. But Alister contacted us after being rescued, we are blessed that he is alright,” he added. (Eom)

alister pereria surrendered- sent back home

MUMBAI: Despite surrendering to the court after Supreme Court cancelled his bail, Alister Pereira was sent home by the local police and courts on Monday as a certified copy of the apex court order was not available.

“After he surrendered at Khar police station where the FIR against him was registered originally, he was taken to the session’s court,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Pratap Dighavkar said. Following a day of confusion during which he was taken from Khar Police station to Sessions court in Sewri and many intermediate stops he finally reached the Khar police station from where he went back to his house on Carter Road.

“We have not received the copy of the Supreme Court order and hence, even though, he surrendered, we did not arrest him. He will be taken into custody as soon as we receive the court’s order and he will then be sent to jail,” Mr Dighavkar added. The police said Pereira would be informed once the court order was received and he would have to surrender before the court.

Seven people were killed and eight others injured after Pereira, driving under the influence of alcohol, lost control over his car and ran over labourers sleeping by the road side in November 2006. The Supreme Court, on January 12, had ordered Pereira to surrender immediately and serve the remainder of his jail sentence.

Noting that a three-year term in prison is too meagre a punishment for running his car over seven lives in a drunken spree, the Supreme Court, on January 12, had ordered Pereira to surrender immediately and serve the remainder of his jail sentence. The Supreme Court concurred with the Bombay High Court’s verdict holding him guilty for the offence added that the sentence could not be enhanced as Maharashtra government did not challenge it.

The trial court sentenced him to six months’ simple imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh for ‘rash and negligent driving’ (Section 304 A of IPC). Following a public furore on the quantum of punishment, the Bombay High Court in 2007 took suo motu cognisance of the case and raised the punishment to three years, convicting him under culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Pereira, who has spent only two months in jail so far, approached the SC against the High Court verdict where his bail plea was cancelled. (Eom)

Sailors released by Somali pirates reach Mumbai

“Hope of being back home to our loved ones was the only way we survived 11 months of inhuman conditions and ill treatment,” said an emotional Devji Kashyap Jethva, one of the 13 sailors who landed here on Tuesday morning.

A crew of 22 people, 17 Indians and 5 Italians, was taken into captivity along with their oil tanker ship, Savina Caylyn, in February last year near Yemen by pirates using guns and rocket propelled grenades. Thirteen crew members landed in Mumbai, on Tuesday morning while the remaining four flew to their respective cities.

The joyous families could not withhold the excitement as they rushed past the airport security barricades to embrace the sailors. Rahul Puranic’s daughter was a little over two years old when he left home promising to return in few weeks but sitting in his lap she said she had no complaints. “This is all too surreal, I have imagined this every single day and now I can barely believe that I have reached home and I am holding my daughter,” an emotional Rahul Puranic said.

“We had a lot of support from National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) but there were days when we feared the worse. Once there was a rumour that they (pirates) are eliminating Indians and we felt so helpless and scared. But today I feel proud of him and all the others who survived the ordeal,” Rahul Puranic’s father Arun Puranic said.

Flanked by family members, exchanging sweets and hugs the sailors were in an emotional mood as they spoke of the horrors of the hijack. “We had restricted amount of rice and water given to us. There was no contact with anyone outside and we constantly feared for our lives, each day was a struggle during captivity…I am eternally thankful to the authorities that negotiated our safe return,” Gulaam Rabbani said.

Juggling garlands and embracing his family members who had come to receive him Mr Jethva said that he had been visualizing his freedom every moment of his captivity. “We were in unlivable conditions and the only thing that kept us alive was the hope of being free someday. Over twenty of us were cramped in a small room with the daunting threat of never seeing our family…” he instantly shrugged the thought and kissed his sons.

Brijesh Balakrishnan said that while their ordeal was over there were many more that were struck in similar conditions, “The horror of being in captivity is indescribable and to come out of it alive is equally unimaginable.” When asked what he wished to do now he said, “Go home and sleep -knowing that when I wake up I will be safe in my home.”

“Living conditions were not the biggest trauma; it was the uncertainty of how the day would end that made life miserable. We had no idea what was going to happen and now I can’t believe how tall my son has become while I was away,” exclaimed Ganesh Balaji Plabi, hugging his five year old son. Recounting the nightmares of the past year Mr Plabi’s wife said, “The distressed and agony that we went through was increased by the rumours. But now he is back and I pray that all the other sailors also return to their homes safely.”

General Secretary and treasurer of NUSI, Abdulgani Y Serang, who welcomed the sailors, said that a consolidated effort from all countries is required to stall the menace of piracy, “We need to safeguard the ships and thousands of seafarers who work under difficult conditions on board the ship in high seas.” Mr Serang added that after the sailors have settled we will provide them with some professional help of counselors to deal with the trauma of the hijack.”

43 Indian sailors, from various companies, are still being held hostage by Somalian pirates in four vessels. In the last two years, 216 Indian sea farers have been rescued from the custody of pirates.

sexual harassment at workplace needs sensitivity not sensationalism

MUMBAI: “A depressingly large number of people have outdated notions of modesty and judge a case by the status, dressing style and personal history of the complainant instead of the details of the complaint she files against a co-worker,” Prof. Asha Bajpai, Centre for Socio Legal Studies and Human Rights, Tata Institute of Social Sciences said at the National Seminar on Addressing Sexual Harassment in Educational Institutions.

Organised by University Women Development Cell and Ramniranjan Jhunjhunwala College the seminar saw experts discuss the challenges in dealing with cases of sexual harassment and their remedies. “When educated people, who are in position of power, ask women to ‘dress better for their own safety’ a very negative signal is sent to the world. Instead of defining what is sexual harassment we find that people discuss if the victim has the moral grounds to complain.”Prof Bajpai said.

There are no law as yet on sexual harassment at the workplace and the Supreme Court guidelines are very broad hence they get interpreted in many ways. Justice (Retd.) Sujata Manohar, Supreme Court of India, stated that while the constitution allowed no specific law to guard against sexual harassment, there are many laws which ensure that women have the right to education and employment. “Any physical contact or advances, demand or request for sexual favours, remarks, pornography or any unwelcomed conduct falls under Sexual harassment if it causes trauma, humiliation, health problems, and stress or jeopardises the safety of a women,” she said.

Emphasising on the need to be sensitive towards every case, said Dr. Trupti Shah, from Sahiyar Stree Sangathan, Baroda said that each case of sexual harassment comes with its own set of complicated issues from power differentials based on institutional hierarchy, different class/caste/religious backgrounds, from rural or urban backgrounds, from different cultural locations. “There are myths that sexual harassment is rare and the no of such cases are exaggerated; fact is that most women do not report a case. We deal with the problems of lack of confidentiality of the victim and the long legal battle usually humiliates the victim by asking her to relive her complaint again and again. Fear of public humiliation and lack of hope in getting any justice completely dissuades the victims to pursue the matter which is why very few women make a formal protest,” she added.

Dr. Kamaxi Bhate, who heads the anti sexual harassment cell of Experiences of KEM Hospital, said that institutions need to announce that they have a zero tolerance policy for sexual harassment.  “Unfortunately sexual harassment is often seen as social humour or innocent flirtation instead of a punishable offence. Sometimes the mechanisms have not been initiated in institutions and at times there has been very strong resistance or indifference to it. We need to have mechanisms that work objectively to separate misunderstood signals from acts of harassment, “she added.

In the last three years, the sexual harassment committee run by the women’s development cell of Mumbai University has received 14 complaints, three are still underway and out of the remaining, most have been either categorized as resolved, dismissed or not a case of sexual harassment without punishing the guilty. “We have made recommendations in many cases that have brought justice to the victim, however many students do not wish to pursue the matter after they graduate… the numbers do not make any difference because the task of the cell is not just to address the cases but also to create awareness and do preventive actions,”Kranti Jejurkar, head of cell said.

Dr. Trupti Shah, from Sahiyar Stree Sangathan, Baroda shared her difficulties in setting up committees to deal with sexual harassment in educational institutions, “Despite clear directives governments set up dummy committees of people handpicked by the head of an institutions, often only on paper. There are no meetings and no complaints (if any are received) are discussed or solved.”(Eom)

Arun Ferreira released

Staff Reporter

 

MUMBAI: Four years and eight months after being lodged in jail for alleged links with Naxalites, Arun Ferreira (40) was granted bail by the District and Sessions court of Gadchiroli in Maharashtra on Wednesday.

Mr Ferreira was arrested along with a naxalite leader Arun Satya Reddy alias Murali in Nagpur in 2007, after eight cases under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act were lodged against him. By September 23, 2011, Ferreira was acquitted in over 10 cases, but whenever he was acquitted and released, the state police arrested him again on fresh set of charges, first in December 2009 and again in September last year.

The alleged Naxal top cadre was released after Ferreira’s family paid the personal bond of 50,000 and 50,000 worth solvency certificate to secure his release. After reaching his home in Bandra, Mumbai he kept away from media. Close friends requested that he wished to be spend time with his family for some time.

Ferreira’s lawyer, Surendra Gadling maintained all the charges levelled against him as bogus. Since abduction was done, his lawyers filed a case demanding a compensation for it. The way the cases were registered, it was clear what kind of bogus cases they were, his lawyer stated. For four-and-half years they never arrested Ferreira and the cases have been registered on dates before he was arrested. But as he gets free, he was arrested within five minutes, and this shows  the modus operandi of  the state and the police, his lawyers stated.

Mr Ferreira’s release came a day after the Indian Association of People’s Lawyers (IAPL) representing Mr Ferreira lawyers filed a writ petition before the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court citing his arrests as abduction by the police and vindictive prosecution by the jail authorities. The court served notices to the state home secretary, the jail authorities and seven other respondents to respond, within 20 days, to the petition filed on his behalf seeking a compensation of Rs 25 lakhs and apology for harassing him by implicating him in false cases.

The petition sought compensation for infringement on fundamental rights of liberty and freedom of movement guaranteed under the constitution and a speedy trial. Ferreira, in his petition, also challenged the vexatious and mala fide prosecution, including delayed proceedings for showing arrests and his abduction from outside the jail premises by implicating him in different cases. The petition demands that all the cases pending and /or convictions in the various courts be quashed and a judicial inquiry be set up to probe his abduction from prison and re-arrest after lease from the court.

During his jail term Arun Ferreira went for a 27 day long hunger strike in protest against the “police harassment” at the jail premises, along with other jail inmates.  He also completed his master’s thesis on “Political prisoners in India” in 2010

Susan Abraham’s husband Vernon Gonsalves has also been in jail for over three years with Mr Ferreira, “I asked the police for an arrest warrant but they threatened me and without any reason took him away.” She added that student leaders, journalists, social activist are being arrested under one pretext or the other whenever the state wants. “It is easy to label them as Maoist or Naxals and once arrested and put into prison, the stigmatization and persecution of the alleged political rebel continues and jails become centres of torture,” she said.(Eom)