AFAJAL'S DEATH WARRANT AND Lt. COL PRASAD SHRIKANT PUROHIT ILLEGAL DETENTION FROM 5th November 2008 DESPITE MCOCA COURT REPRIMAND TO STATE OF MAHARASTRA

Afajal’s Death Warrant

Afajal in Tihar Jail,

Waiting gallows…

20^th   October, 2006,

Nightmarish nights….

Burning valleys,

Bloodbath at Lal Chowk….

Deadly reminiscences of Temple of Democracy…..

Jihad,

Azadi,

Fatwa,

Fidayeens,

Inhaling Smoky air….

Smelling gun powder,

Chauvinist Saffron Brigade…

Cruel bigotry,

Bloodthirsty Mullahs…

Venomous ideologues,

Spitting hatred,

Vengeance….

Poor Hindus-Muslims…

Women,

Children,

Old people…

Haplessly stunned….

Homeless Kashmiri Pundits,

Suspicious eyes see a Terrorist in each ‘Muslim’….

Conflict,

Controversy,

Cold blood….

Hellish heaven…

Kashmir,

Blurred beauty…

‘Afajal …..the son of India,

A heinous criminal,

A hardcore terrorist’,

Another execution…..

Will extinguish the fiasco of Communal frenzy?

Confused,

Totally lost….

Silent Santoor,

Gagged Sufi Kalaam….

Breeding land of Afajals….

Crying lush green valleys…..

Islam,

Peace,

Justice,

Brotherhood…..

Wrinkled Jasmine,

Ugly Chinnars…..

Waiting for annoyed Autumn….

Afajal,

Lurking noose…

A clemency petition…..

An opportunity of peace….

Or the mockery of justice,

Conscience,

Liberty,

Humanity….

Alas!

Afzal's hanging

I am not able to understand why our government dithers over whether to hang Afzal or not! He masterminds (supposedly) an attack on our parliament - not that I mind......we as a nation would have been much better off had his plans succeeded -we lose brave securitymen who guard our not so brave netas - he & his accomplices almost succeed in killing the seat of Democracy in our country - and now we debate on whether to hang him or not!

Where, oh where is this leading to? I wont be surprised if Afzal Bhai gets a lifer instead of the gallows. THe former CM of J & K Dr. Farooq Abdullah says India will go up in flames if Afzal hangs. The immediate past CM of J & K - Mufti Mohd Sayeed & his daughter Mehbooba Mufti (yes the same who was kidnapped & released in exchange for some notorious Kashmir militants who now move freely in the neighbouring country) says the sentence is too harsh! Too harsh my foot! He should have been shot in public.

I have lost 18 members of my immediate family (ages ranging from 25 to 42) fighting insurgency in J & K, the Kargil war, anti insurgency operations in North East etc. There have been instances when sheer lack of political will has demoralised our troops at every stage. We had some secretaries & ministers who once ordered cow dung to be transported to our troops posted at Siachen/ Leh-Ladakh/ Kargil as food rations. This is a fact!!!!!!

When will this game of hide & seek stop? Why cant we come out as a strong state and show proper will in implementing the death penalty. Why cant we show the door to the Muftis & Abdullahs and tell them in no uncertain terms that WE MEAN BUSINESS! Why cant our so called leaders stick their necks out for once and say - YES HE WILL HANG! Why the vacillation?

When are we going to be a strong state with strong ideas, views & actions? Why are we afraid of what the world will say? Will the US or UK bother about world opinion if they had to do something like this? Will they even bother about world opinion? When will we see the government adhering to basic principles of humanity everywhere? When will the government realise the the people killed in anti insurgency operation all over the country are also somebody's father, brother, son & husband? Dont their grief matter? Are they not humans? Are they not entitled to feel shortchanged if the government changes its decisions? Why should not the families of the soldiers who sacrificed their lives in protecting the parliament not return the bravery medals awarded to them posthmously?

AFZAL SHOULD HANG!

Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit is a key player in the narrative of Hindutva terror. Believed to be the man at the heart of the extremist Hindu militia Abhinav Bharat, he was arrested by the Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) on November 5, 2008, for his role in the Malegaon blast on September 29 that year. On April 13, 2009, the Indian army instituted a court of inquiry (COI) against Purohit and four other army personnel and he was found innocent of all the charges. This, even as a national investigation into saffron terror continues and a criminal case is pending in a special MCOCA court in Mumbai.

The army’s inquiry having come to an end, the board of officers, comprising three senior army personnel—a brigadier and two colonels—has forwarded its findings to the Southern Command. Close to 60 officers were examined as witnesses over a period of 37 months. Outlook has gained exclusive access to the testimonies of all the witnesses. These reveal that Purohit will in all likelihood be held guilty for his association with organisations not recognised under the army. However, he may very well get a clean chit as far as being involved in activity that could be termed “terrorist” or “anti-national”. This internal inquiry is unlikely to be made public.

Besides Purohit, the COI was convened to look into charges against four other personnel: Lt Col B.P. Dhar, Captain Sood, Major D.P. Sudhir and Subedar Pawar. All of them were linked to Purohit, though he remains the only one behind bars. The terms of reference set for the inquiry were primarily to establish the veracity of six allegations, most of which can be covered under what is known as “dereliction of duty” in army parlance. Purohit has been proceeded against for the following:

• For reportedly proceeding on leave or temporary duty without approval from his seniors, thereby absenting himself from duty
• For allegedly being a member of Abhinav Bharat, an organisation not recognised by the armed forces of the Union
• For the illegal sale of a non-service pattern weapon
• For having initiated procedures to get bulletproof jackets, debugging equipment and mini bug detectors for personal gains using his official position
• For allegedly swapping ammunition from the army
• For allegedly being involved in illegal or undesirable terrorist activity.

The last ground for investigating Purohit would suggest the army is also looking into the Malegaon blast case. In reality, however, the force is looking only into his antecedents. As Rohini Salian, special public prosecutor of NIA, says, “The army inquiry has no bearing on the case before the special judge. These are two completely different investigations done by two completely different agencies.”

None of the 60 witnesses before the COI, Outlook has learnt, has corroborated the charge of Purohit being a terrorist. Several witnesses have instead used epithets like “motivated officer” and “good field operator” for him. His peers too reportedly describe him as an officer who could cultivate sources with ease. Sudhakar Chaturvedi was one such source he was cultivating, according to the argument being presented; it was he who led him to Abhinav Bharat.

This version is at odds with the ATS’s allegation of Purohit being Abhinav Bharat’s leader. In the picture that emerges from the COI testimonies, Sudhakar, currently an accused in the case, worked for Abhinav Bharat and kept feeding Purohit inputs on the right-wing group’s movements during the latter’s tenure as an intelligence officer of the Deolali unit in Maharashtra. Gradually, he became a key source and shortcut for Purohit to infiltrate right-wing groups. After Purohit was posted to Pachmarhi in Madhya Pradesh, he handed over the “source” to his unit, handled for a short while by the now retired Subedar Pawar.