M A I N   N E W S

Plot to kill Modi
4 Lashkar activists gunned down

Ahmedabad, June 15
The police shot dead here early today four suspected terrorists, including two Pakistanis and a woman, who were allegedly plotting to kill Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

The four, three men and a woman, were gunned down on a road at Kotarpur on the outskirts of the city at 4.30 a.m. following an intelligence tip-off, Joint Commissioner of Police P.P. Pandey told mediapersons.

"We had received intelligence inputs about the plot 15 days ago, hatched by Pakistan-based jehadi organisations, to eliminate Modi. Acting on a further tip-off received Monday, we followed the car the terrorists were travelling in.

"When we intercepted them after a chase, they opened fire on us, forcing us to shoot them down," he said.

Two of the dead, he said, were Pakistanis and the other two appeared to be Indians. All four were said to be members of the Pakistan-backed terrorist group Laskher-e-Toiba, he said.

While the identity of the woman, who appeared to be an Indian, remained to be established, the rest were identified as Jishan Joher, alias Janbaaz, alias Abdul Gani, of Narnanak Kalerbandi, Punjab province, Pakistan; Amjadali Akbarali Rana, alias Salim, alias Chandu of Bhalwal, Punjab, Pakistan; and Pune-based Javed.

Responding to questions how their nationality was established and about evidence of the plot, Pandey said, "We know and it's a fact. We will confirm it with our investigation.

"They were identified on the basis of the physical descriptions received in the intelligence input, though they had no photographs, he added.

The terrorists were carrying one AK-56 rifle and two revolvers. Apart from a large number of coconuts and a non-quantified amount of explosives, the police recovered two mobile phones and a satellite phone from the car they were using.

"The phone instruments have been sent to the forensic science laboratory.

They hold the key to the further investigation," Pandey said.

Pandey said that Javed had made three trips to the city and the possibility of his having some local supporting network was not ruled out.

It was the first time a woman was killed in an encounter in the state, he said.

"It is a well-known strategy to include a woman in the team as she won't be suspected. That makes things easier for them in security checks,” he added.

No police personnel were hurt in the encounter.

Answering a question, Pandey noted that no policeman had been killed or injured in a number of “encounters” in the state in the last couple of years, all of them involving terrorists plotting to assassinate Modi.

The authorities said that the security arrangements for Modi were reviewed and fortified following the incident.

The alleged plot came to light days before the “rath yatra” in the city, they said.

The security arrangement for the event on Saturday would be reviewed.

Mr Pandey said that the ultras had twice surveyed the bunglow; office and daily route of the Chief Minister about a fortnight back with a view to carry out their mission to assasinate him.

“The militants were determined to kill the Chief Minister at any cost,” Pandey said

Mr Pandey said City Police Commissioner K R Kashik received a tip-off at about 11pm yesterday that a fiyadeen gang armed with sophisticated firearms and electronics gadgets had left from Mumbai for Ahmedabad by road in a blue Indica car.

Soon, several teams of city crime branch under the direct supervision of Mr Pandey and Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime), D G Vanzara set up dragnets at all entry points of the city.

At about 4 am, Police Inspector J G Parmar, posted at Narole crossroads, spotted the targeted car and started to chase it. He also informed the other police parties on the wireless sets that the vehicle was heading towards the state capital of Gandhinagar, where Chief Minister’s official residence is located.

Near Vadtal Waterworks area, Police Commando Mohanbhai Nanjibhai burst the tyre of terrorists’ car by firing from his AK-47 gun. The ensuing encounter killed all four terrorists, he added.

To a question, Mr Pandey disclosed that a fortnight ago Crime Branch had an intelligence input regarding such attacks ahead of the June 19 Rathyatra of Lord Jagannath. The Intelligence input carried detailed description of the fidayeens. This helped the police in spotting them even in the darkness of the wee hours, he added.

To another query, the DCP admitted that the police was not ruling out the possibility of local assistance as in the case of the terrorist attack on Akshardham temple in September 2002, in which over 30 people were killed.

Mr Pandey also disclosed that earlier Javed had made three trips to the Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. — IANS, UNI