Purohit says it all- Part-II

This was first published on rediff.com

The information that was needed to be passed on to the army was used to carry out a terror strike instead. This is what the narco analysis conducted on Lt. Colonel Purohit revealed according to a source in the Anti Terrorist Squad in Mumbai.
Lt. Colonel Purohit was subject to a narco analysis test in Bangalore last week and during the test he revealed that the information that he had gathered regarding a local group in Malegaon which assembles bombs. An investigating officer told rediff.com that during the narco while confirming his role in the Malegaon blasts he had said that instead of passing on information regarding the local group to the army he used it unleash terror at Malegaon.
Lt Colonel Purohit was the first serving army personnel to be arrested in connection with terror charges. The Mumbai ATS after his arrest stated that it was with his help that Sadhvi Pragya Singh and others were able to execute the Malegaon blasts. These arrests gave terror in India a new dimension. Not only did it show that radical Hindu groups were behind the attack but also the investigations show that the same groups had carried out subversive activities and later tried blaming the Muslims for it.
Purohit says, as an officer in the military intelligence I had information about a local group which specialised in assembling bombs. I knew that the same local group from Malegaon had helped the Students Islamic Movement of India assemble bombs. I thought I would seek the help of these groups to assemble the bombs Purohit reportedly confessed.
While serving as an officer in the Military intelligence I was assigned the job of collecting information on terror outfits in the Maharashtra region. I did my work professionally and managed to collect a lot of information. During the course of my duty I zeroed down on a Muslim group in Malegaon which had helped SIMI to assemble and plant bombs near a Muslim graveyard in Malegaon two years back.
I got in touch with this group and convinced them to assemble bombs for our outfit. They agreed to do the same for a few thousand rupees. I had also resorted to threatening this group to assemble the bombs when they initially refused to do so. The group which helped in assembling the bombs hail from poor families and hence they finally agreed to do our work for a few thousand rupees. We had planned on carrying out a terror strike at Malegaon this year and the planning was undertaken by Prajya Singh Thakur and her mentor Swami Amritananda along with me.

The bombs that were finally assembled were very similar to the one’s used during the Malegaon blasts of 2006. We also decided on using the same modus operandi and hence decided that the bombs would be planted on motor cycles. We decided to undertake a similar operation for two reasons. First and foremost we wanted to avenge the attacks by SIMI in various parts of the country and secondly we thought by using similar tactics we could mislead the police. The similarity in operations would have the police believe that the blast was the handiwork of SIMI.
Purohit said that he deliberately hid the information regarding the local group from the police and the army. Had he revealed information regarding the local group then they would have been caught and the attack planned by them would not have happened.

The Anti Terrorist Squad says Purohit who has allegedly betrayed the Indian army was very emotional about it. During the narco and even during interrogation he has broken down several times. He cries most of the time and says at times that it is not all his fault. My associates are to be blamed. I was a normal officer but some of my associates started to instill hatred in me against another community. The hatred grew and the various instances of blasts in the country only angered me more and more. My friends and I thought that we need to give a fitting reply and avenge the killings of so many persons. Hindus are not weak and Hindus are capable of giving a fitting reply to avenge terror attacks, Purohit also said.

Purohit says it all

This was first published on rediff.com

The arrest of Hindu activists in the country in connection with the Malegaon blast has put several investigating agencies on rewind mode. If the revealations by Lt Colonel Purohit are to be believed then several investigations in the country pertaining to bomb blasts need to be redone.
The Lt Colonel who was subject to a narco analysis test in Bangalore made a startling revealation in which he said that the self claimed religious leader, Swami Amritanand Saraswati also known as Dayanand Pandey had masterminded both the Nanded as well as the Ajmer blasts.
Purohit was arrested by the Mumbai Anti Terrorist Squad for his alleged role in the Malegaon blasts and was brought down to Bangalore for a narco analysis test with a view of extracting more information out of him.
Purohit said in a state of trance that Pandey had taken his help to set up a terror wing. He further revealed that Pandey had introduced him to Pragya Singh. While introducing him to the Sadhvi, Pandey also said that all help regarding logistic support ought to be given. Pandey said that I should provide logistic support to carry out terror attacks in various places.
A wing had been set up by Pandey and he asked me to help in the training process. There were around 800 men who part of the training programme and their job was to execute terror strikes in different parts of the country. Speaking more about the terror wing during his narco, Purohit said that the idea was to set up a wing parallel to SIMI. The idea was to give a fitting reply to organisations such as SIMI and also create a sense of fear among such outfits which were responsible for spreading terror.
He further said that Pandey ran an Ashram in Ahmedabad and provided shelter to several anti-social elements. These persons were used to carry out terror strikes in the country. He also gave information on the source of the explosives and also the funding for the terror strikes (source not mentioned as it would hamper investigation).
During the narco analysis test, Purohit was very cooperative and spilled out a lot of information without inhibition. It was based on these results that the ATS managed to nab Pandey from Kanpur.
( read part two also)

Narco is just sensational

Well it was the narco analysis that did the trick finally for the cops in Mumbai. Its non-admissibility in court and the never ending debates on how authentic the tests are an everyday subject for debate. Well whatever may be the case, it does create a lot of sensation and in the few years of journalism that I have done, i have noticed one thing and that is nothing sells better than sensanationalism.
Well a couple of years back I took the test myself and this is what happened. Read on:

I underwent a strange transformation having seen the CDs showing Telgi and Afsar Pasha being subjected to narco analysis tests. Strange, because I had developed an urge to be \\’narcoed\\’ myself and tell the world about the experience. In some way it had appealed to me. So, I decided to undergo the test. But there was a problem. Such tests a the forensic science laboratory are not allowed without the permission of the Court. That put me in a fix…..until I discovered that psychiatrists too resort to similar tests using the same drug – Sodium Pentothal, the truth serum. I zeroed in on one shrink, trying to convince him over the phone that I had a severe psychic problem. But on seeing me in person he probably thought I required one anyways. The D-day was set for Sept 20 (Wednesday). Despite my urge to experience what Telgi underwent, I was a nervous wreck. And the reasons were many. (Italics) Would I blurt out more than I needed to? Would I be able to control what I was saying? What if secrets tumbled out? Would that ruin me, my career, my life? Or would I emerge a reformed Munnabhai who reveals all honestly to feel good in the end? (Italics close) If I was found speaking the whole truth, then this would be one drug my wife would not mind me being addicted to. Shedding my inhibitions, the thought seemed exciting. And the only way I could do it to the fullest was to tell the truth about everything. What the hell….the drug would do it for me.
D-Day morning: I woke up early feeling a pumpkin-sized ball in the pit of my stomach. The appointment was for 10 am. My brother volunteered to drive me to and fro the venue (not disclosed). Once there, the shrink assured me that all would be well. There was a 15-minute counselling session before the actual truth parade began. Then it was time. I panicked a little and insisted that my brother remain in the room for moral support, at least. The norms do not allow such presence, only the specialists. But he made an exception. The yellow crystal drug, sodium pentothal, was injected in my left arm. It was not the usual prick….it was done slowly….very slowly, for a longer lasting effect. I had ensured that the syringe was a disposable one. Imagine taking a test for thrills and going back with HIV! It did occur to me that they do take care of all these things…but I still had to make sure. The psychiatrist spoke slowly and soothingly, telling me that I was in a bus. Why a bus of all the things, I wondered. And that was the last thing I remembered doing. The effect of the drug takes the subject into three stages of sedation, hypnotisation and anaesthetisation. The quantum of drug used in narco analysis only extends till the second stage – hypnotic trance. I had prepared a set of questions myself and had answered each one in a normal state of mind, a day before the test. I knew I would not be able to witness my own narco analysis, so this was the best way I could do it. And my brother too landed up as witness to the test after my last-minute traces of panic. So he was there to tell me later about the rubbish (or was it?) I blabbered. Obviously, I knew what I had answered in my awake state before. But what I saw answered by me during the test was way different compared to those. Here goes, as reported to me later by the shrink and my brother: \\”Are you the greatest person?\\” I had said \\’no\\’, but it was in the affirmative during the test, even adding \\”I am God\\’s special child.\\” I had said that I did not like talking to anyone in particular. The test revealed I liked talking to my teddy bear, the Pooh Bear. Why? \\”Because he listens and does not talk back.\\” I was told later that people in the room (including my brother) were giggling at this one – a 30-year-old talking to his teddy bear! The shrink: \\”Do you miss something in your life?\\” \\”My dog Droopy who died three years back. I have never been able to get over it.\\” In a normal state of mind, I had answered about not missing anything in life. \\”Do you get along with everyone in your office?\\” asked the shrink. Although, I do not, during the test I said yes. \\”Are you supportive and truly happy if someone does better?\\” \\”No.\\” \\”Why?\\” \\”I want to be in the limelight always and nobody else should be better than me,\\” my subconscious voice reportedly said. \\”What impresses you most about a woman?\\” \\”Her footwear!\\” My earlier answer was \\”her character\\”. The shrink probed deeper: \\”Tell me who according to you is an ideal mother?\\” My answer to this one was that I already had an ideal mother, but the drug for whatever reason made me say \\”Salman Khan\\’s mother in Maine Pyaar Kiya.\\” \\”Why?\\” \\”Because she understands everything.\\” In wake-stage answers, I had said I had no secrets, but under the test, I said I secretly wished I was the only son to hog all the attention at home – something that my brother, who personally witnessed the truth drama, is upset about even now. He did drive me back home safely though. Next question: \\”What about journalists in Bangalore?\\” I refused to divulge anything initially. But on being prodded I said there were only two good journalists here, but did not give out the names. \\”Why are you in this field?\\” \\”I feel powerful.\\” \\”What is your ambition?\\” \\”To become the Chief Justice of India.\\” Why? Because, he is powerful. \\”How were you as a student?\\” Said me: \\”I was always good. Topped the class.\\” \\”Did your teachers complain?\\” \\”No, they did not. But I once scored \\’zero\\’ on 50 in Economics\\” – a decade-old fact I had hidden all these years. The 40-minute test was over. I was told I slept for over three hours after that, waking up with a strange feeling. Very drowsy, but my mind felt light. I felt breathless for a while, but the doc said it was psychological. It took me a while to recollect where I was since I had remained disconnected from the world for almost four hours.
The shrink\\’s account: I was an attention seeker and a dramatic person, a kind from who information can be got easily during a narco analysis. But a submissive person would not reveal anything and would go into his shell most of the time even during a narco analysis. What was Telgi like? This only goes on to show that a narco is not the bible in an investigation unless the evidence obtained out of it is corroborated by further tests and investigation.
After effects: It took me almost 24 hours to completely get out of the hangover of the test. But before that happened there seemed to be no hand-brain coordination. I felt like my reflexes were several times slower than normal. Looking back now, I realise that not everything I said was the truth. Comparing the pre-test answers with those under the test I realise that the latter brought out exaggeration and fantasy, but also some truth. It is the person you want to be and not the person that you are.
Note: Narco analysis which is being used on criminals today could serve only as a mere investigative tool and cannot be admissible as evidence. A person is able to conceal information; he can train his brain to lie so much that he believes himself. To sum it all up, \\”you shed your inhibitions but never lose your self-control\\”. Nothing can compel you to tell the truth, unless you want to do it yourself. Telgi is learnt to have said after his narco, \\”I feel fresh and nice. Let me go through it once more!\\” But not me. I felt like a zombie, my head was heavy and worse, I was so hungry all the time after waking up.

Malegaon- I cry for you

Malegaon is red hot today. This small town which was always considered to be a communally sensitive place is once again in the news. While the Nanded blasts of 2006 saw the emergence of Hindu terror in this country, it was the blasts at Malegaon in September that actually brought the right wing Hindu groups under the scanner. So why is Malegaon such a hot spot…… Read on what my friend Aleem Faizee has to say

Malegaon, a town in India with more than 70% Muslim population has always been considered as a communally sensitive place. However, there is a place in Malegaon where a Mosque and a Mandir exist side by side with Muslims and Hindus, both living there in peace since last many years. Same is the case with the whole town. Except for the selected few who always try to create trouble, the whole town comprises the peace loving people . Still, the tag of being a communally sensitive place is attributed with the town.
Because of the historic seventeenth century fort my Mohalla, the locality around it, was named as Qilla or Fort. One can easily find many Hindu and Muslim families living there peacefully ever since its emergence. Not only peacefully, but are living, many a time, assisting each other. Just steps away from this historic fort, existed an akhada, an ancient form of Indian gymnasium. The akhada was jointly managed by Hindus and Muslims and even now has some Muslim names in its managing body.

Sometimes in 1930 when a Masjid was built there adjacent to this akhada, a Mandir was also set up along side. It was enough to convert the Mohalla into a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity. Even today Hindus and Muslims pray together at their respective places of worship, mocking the people who term Malegaon as “the communally sensitive place.”
It is not clear why the place, which was supposed to be “a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity”, became a sensitive place. This becomes even more surprising when one fails to find a single incident when because of the Masjid and the Mandir being side by side has caused any communal disturbances.

Still, ever since I was born around a quarter century ago, I always noticed the policemen sitting around my Mohalla. Under the watchful eyes of the policemen, I used to visit the Masjid while my fellow Mohallawallas visit the Mandir. Surprised, once I asked my dad why these policemen are always here around and prompt came the reply, “Because of the Masjid and the Mandir.” The Masjid, the Mandir and the Policemen, I failed to understand a damn at that time.

But as I grew older, it transpired to me that just because a Masjid and a Mandir exist side by side, my Mohalla is considered as highly sensitive place. But believe me, despite all these hype about the so called sensitiveness of the place, I seldom noticed any tension between the two communities in my Mohalla. Not even when Malegaon was subjected to several riots. People in this Mohalla always remained peaceful and resided with remarkable mutual respect and understanding. And if not, could the water from the water-tanks of the Masjid have regularly used when the expansion of the Mandir was recently underway?
What’s more, I still remember the Ganpati and Shiv Jyanti processions passing through my Mohalla on marvelously decorated trucks. The battery system that prevails today was nowhere in practice and trucks after the trucks in the procession used to take the electricity connections from my house. And other people in the Mohalla too never hesitated in lending such a helping hand.

Forget the excitement of daily prayers five times in a day a Muslim of the Mohalla performs with fellow Hindus concurrently offering the Pujas, the festive season that normally starts in the month of August with Ganpati, makes the atmosphere of the Mohalla such that it remains memorable for the whole year. The lightings, the decorations and the huge pendals, it was all very mesmerizing. The Muezzin bellowing the azan, call for prayer, and the simultaneous chanting of the Bhajan by the Pandit with fellow mates; all this is nothing but thrilling.

But despite all the peace and harmony people in this Mohalla used to live with, the policemen are normally there as usual and when my two-year old son asked why the policemen are seen here around our Mohalla, unlike my father, I failed to utter anything to him.