Plotting crime in jails
By Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Dec 2 — Dreaded gangsters Santa Singh and Bittu — now under arrest — did not know each other. They met inside the Ambala jail almost a year ago where they reportedly chalked out a scheme along with others to form a gang that had been on a looting and raping spree in the past two months.

Om Prakash, alias Saini, wanted in 22 cases of looting and auto theft in Chandigarh had formed his own gang. After his arrest last week Saini reportedly told the police that he could not find the right person who could accompany him in carrying out "bigger armed crimes". For this he had asked his brother, Sunil, who is still in Burail jail, to keep a watch for such type of persons.

Small time drug peddler, Cyril Archbong, alias Tony, was behind bars in the Patiala jail where he met Saleem. The duo started bringing and selling large consignments of drugs in the city. Tony was nabbed with 2.5 kg of smack worth almost Rs 2.5 crore in the international market.

Raj Kumar came in contact with Sanjeev Kumar, alias Langrah, who is still in Burail jail. Kumar got some references from him and along with two others posed as labourers during the day time while carrying out burglaries in Chandigarh and Panchkula.

It is a shocking reality that a fearful new culture — armed gangs having a base in Chandigarh and its surrounding areas — are nowadays formed, realigned or re--grouped inside jails that have become almost like an invisible recruiting and meeting ground for various gangs and criminals.

Gangsters arrested by the police in the past few days had reportedly told investigating officials as to how jailed fellow gangsters keep an eye for "like minded persons" who have the "potential" to graduate onto bigger crimes. Those inside the jail give references of their own gang members to outgoing prisoners and this helps in forming of a new gang.

Even bails are arranged for the poor and petty thieves who are then taken into gangs after which they are initiated into robberies and heinous crimes by other gang members, the arrested criminals have told the police.

Another glaring example is of Ashok Kumar, of Jalandhar. He was nabbed by the police for petty thefts two years ago. He went to jail for a while and bailed out. He was then nabbed by the Punjab police. During one of his stints in jail , he told the police that he came into contact with a big drug smuggler and joined him. Around 10 days ago he was again rounded up by the police on suspicion. He has reportedly revealed about his past life to the police.

Jails have also become a place for passing around messages between two gang members. One side of the gang approaches their jailed "friend" and leaves a message with him. The other party sends a courier in the guise of a visitor and collects the message. This keeps the police off their backs, said a cop. Without their contact in jails it would be difficult for a criminal to find a person who would be suited for this type of crime, cops opine.

Newer ways are being devised by criminals to regroup and to form fresh alignments to carry out serious crimes, admits a senior cop. In the recent past the local SSP, Mr C.S. R. Reddy, had admitted that the " gang culture" was new to the city. The police had knowledge that at least four or five such organised gangs were working in the city, he said.

Revelations made by the arrested lot has thrown new light on the rise of organised gangs and their origins of late how the police reacts is to be seen.

Key CBI witness turns hostile in JMM MPs' case

NEW DELHI, Dec 2 (UNI) — Another key CBI witness turned hostile today in the JMM MP's bribery case against former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao and 19 others.

Mr Dwarkanath, who was Accounts Officer in Karnataka Breweries and Distilleries Pvt Ltd owned by accused D.K. Adikeshavalu, told the trial court he had never stated to the CBI that he had withdrawn Rs 30 lakh from the bank at the instance of his employer on July 30, 1993.

According to the CBI, this Rs 30 lakh was part of the money which was paid as bribe to the opposition MPs who voted against the no-confidence motion against the Rao government on July 28, 1993.

With this, five prosecution witnesses have turned hostile. They are journalists Devender Mukhia and B.S. Nandwal, advocate Virender Singh — all of whom are allegedly close to former Haryana Chief Minister Bhajan Lal — and Capt Dilawar Singh, then Secretary to former Union Minister Ajit Singh. Both Mr Bhajan Lal and Mr Ajit Singh are accused in the case.

Mr Dwarkanath told the trial court of Additional Sessions Judge Ajit Bharihoke he had in fact sent a registered letter to then CBI Director Joginder Singh denying that he had withdrawn Rs 30 lakh after leading newspapers in Bangalore had carried on December 16, 1996, his purported statement to the CBI that he had personally gone to the bank to encash the cheque.

"After going through the news item I was shocked and surprised about the reference to my going to the bank and withdrawing cash," he told the court during his cross-examination by Adikeshavalu's counsel, Mr C.V. Nagesh.

He said he also immediately filed an affidavit with the CBI court in Bangalore, denying that he ever gave such a statement to the bureau, and sent a copy of the affidavit to the CBI.

The witness submitted the postal acknowledgements of his letter to the CBI Director and a copy of the affidavit to the court to substantiate his statement.

There was no response from the CBI either to his letter to Mr Joginder Singh or to his affidavit, he said.

The hearing in the case will continue tomorrow.

The other accused in the case include former Karnataka Chief Minister M Veerappa Moily and former Union Ministers Buta Singh and Satish Sharma.