Goa is considered a safe destination by notorious criminals and terrorists seeking to take shelter and find a safe sanctuary. Though the State Police will not admit that criminals and terrorists make a beeline to the State to hide out, the increasing admission by persons arrested that they have stayed in the State indicates that Goa is looked upon as a safe haven by criminals.
The most recent incident came to light after the Nabha jail break last Sunday. Khalistan Liberation Front Chief Harminder Singh Mintoo, who broke out of the jail but was arrested in Delhi the next day, had lived in Goa for 18 years, and family members are still living in Ponda, though police were clueless.
Though he was not into any terror activities during his time spent in Goa, he studied here and was engaged in the family business, and on his escape Mintoo had planned to come to Goa, before flying to Europe. The family in Ponda, claims they have broken ties with Minto once he got involved in anti-national activities.
Interestingly, Mintoo’s family that hails from Punjab, shifted to Goa from Mumbai, and have been in the construction business, with Mintoo even being Pradhan of the Gurudwara at Betim for two years.
All this leads to a series of questions of: Why had he planned to come to Goa? Who was supposed to help him? Where was he supposed to come? When did he decide on Goa? How was he planning to manage his escape to the West upon his arrival in Goa? All remain unanswered for the present.
But, Mintoo is not the only person with terror links to have sheltered in Goa. There are about half a dozen anti-nationals and wanted criminals who have lived in the State.
Sayyad Ismail Afaque who was arrested by Bangalore Police last year not only stayed in Goa for five years beginning 2010 but was also trained in paragliding at Keri-Pernem plateau. Afaque, a native of Bhatkal, had plans to launch an air strike for which he had procured an electronic timer device, digital circuits, pipes and other material from the US.
Pakistani trained Kashmiri terrorist Tariq Ahmed Batlo, Odhisa’s top Naxal leader Shambhu Beck, Chota Rajan’s sharp shooter Sheikh Umaid-ur-Rehman Ishrat Hussain, Pakistani-American Lashkar-e-Taiba’s David Coleman Headley, Indian Mujahideen’s co-founder Yasin Bhatkal and Garikapatti alias Gopal Rao alias Govind Rao have been Goa’s terror and crime linked ‘tourists’ who have enjoyed the State’s hospitality while basking in the sands and under the sun.
Except for Shyam Garikapatti, who was arrested earlier this year by the State Crime Branch from Saligao, all the others sojourned in the State and left it borders unchallenged. Garipatti was a former aide of underworld Don Dawood Ibrahim and had been living in Goa since 2007 till his arrest, and went about under the false name of ‘Gopal Rao’ in a construction company. He was convicted in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts and involved in 18 other major crimes. He resided in a rented premises given by the employer company.
David Coleman Headley, one of the kingpins of the 26/11 attack in Mumbai stayed near Starco Junction at Anjuna under different names for several weeks conducting a recee before exiting the State.
Four Manipur-based militants, including a high-profile woman, were arrested by Goa Police after a tip off from their counterparts in Manipur. Among scores of migrant labourers from Bhoma, Old Goa and Mapusa area, the most wanted Mauvadi Trishu Manch (MTM) naxalite head Shambhu Beck was arrested.
This was followed by the arrest of Sheikh Umaid-ur-Rehman Ishrat Hussain, one of gangster Chota Rajan’s sharpshooters. He was picked from Arambol where he was residing in a rented premises which was hardly a kilometer from the Police Out Post.
Poor intelligence by Goa Police and non-filling of tenant verification forms by landlords has often proved costly for the State.
Goa Police in all cases were not aware of the stay of these terrorists as the information was revealed only after investigating agency submitted it in the court. It has become a trend that until the fugitives get caught, either in Goa or elsewhere, the State police remains in the dark about their presence in the State.
