Wanted elsewhere, guests here
From Battlo to Shambu, militants get enough shelter and time in Goa
VIBHA VERMA
PANJIM, JAN 22
This is how criminals surrender in Goa. Local ishtyle. In 2008, Orrisa’s most wanted criminal Raja alias Sandip Acharya called up from a coin phone box near Magsons Super Centre, Campal to police headquarters informing that he wanted to surrender. So what did the Goa police tell him? You are welcome. Please take a bus to the Panjim police station and meet us. Normally, it is the police who rush on getting such information.
Raja incidentally was wanted in 35-odd serious killings including the killing of marathon kid Budhia’s coach Biranchi Das. The Goa Police has no idea who Raja was and they didn’t care. Even a Google search would have helped.
Goa’s high profile tourists continue to arrive almost on an annual basis. Battlo, Shambu Beck and now the Manipur-based militants. Even David Headley, one of the main kingpins of the 26/11 attack in Mumbai came to Goa for a bit of sun and snooping. The Goa police didn’t have a clue.
The first ever major arrest of a terrorist in Goa was of Tariq Ahmed alias Battlo. The police record shows he was arrested at the Margao railway station when he was getting down from the train.
A big haul of RDX, hand-grenades and detonators were seized from him. Battoo, a fair tall man in his mid-30s, was with Tahreek-ul-Mujahideen, a militant organization.
The investigation of the case itself was loophole-ridden. The Chief Minister announced his “arrest” a good seven days before he was actually arrested.
The question mark was raised on whether Battlo was really arrested at the railway station or picked up earlier and his arrest shown later. Importantly, he lived in South Goa for a good four months before he was picked up.
Margao’s fast track court acquitted him and by the time Goa police could challenge his acquittal, he had already crossed the State borders. Now, he is beyond State police’s reach.
North Goa Sessions Court issued summons on him which was routed through Kashmir police but he has till date failed to appear.
Even the warrants issued against him have not helped to get him back for the case re-trial. Sources say that the Bombay High Court at Goa is likely to issue proclamation against Battlo.
And on May 6, 2010, Superintendent of Police Veenu Bansal and his team, who were actually supposed to track down
narcotics, were very busy. The arrest of scores of migrant labourers from Bhoma, Old Goa and Mapusa area hit the headlines the next day.
The wanted Mauvadi Trishu Manch (MTM) naxalite head Shambu Beck was arrested on a tip-off by Orissa police. The labourer-like looking Beck was in Goa for long and was wanted in several criminal activities back home.
Beck was happily living in lesser known Bhoma locality on Ponda-Panjim highway and got jobs in private firms as cover. No background checks were done by his employers.
The year 2011 itself began with the arrest of four Manipur-based militants including a high-profile woman. The arrest came after a tip off from Manipur police.
Ironically, the arrest came almost a month after State was on high alert. The militants had no real tension though. In fact, during the time of their arrest, they were all having a meal of fish curry and rice at a Cavelossim beach village.
