By Alistair Scrutton
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Doubts have been raised about police reports of a foiled attack on India's capital blamed on Pakistani militants, with newspapers wondering if the whole episode might have been staged.
The controversy is an unwelcome distraction from India's efforts to bring to book the Pakistanis it blames for November's attack on Mumbai.
Police on Sunday said they killed two militants after a car chase in Noida city on the outskirts of New Delhi on the eve of Republic Day. AK-47 rifles, grenades and a Pakistani passport were recovered, according to officials.
But the story sounded to newspapers too good to be true. The militants not only conveniently carried Pakistani identification, they also asked for directions outside Delhi with an AK-47 poking out of a bag, and then confessed before dying.
The incident came amid heightened tension with Pakistan after the Mumbai attacks late last year.
"(The doubts) hurt India's credibility more now than ever before, especially as India is now under international focus and trying to tell the world to act against terrorism after attacks on Mumbai," retired Major-General Ashok Mehta told Reuters.
Indians even have a phrase for these kind of suspicions -- "fake encounters" -- when police are accused of killing suspected criminals in cold blood and passing the incidents off as gunbattles to reap either fame or cash rewards.
"Doubts have always persisted about fake encounters and killings in India, but everything looks suspicious in this case," Mehta, a security analyst, said.
The doubts highlight a problem for India -- that many people doubt the credibility of police accounts just as the Indian government is trying to show the world that Pakistan is behind militant attacks on its soil.
"FAKE ENCOUNTERS?"
One newspaper expressed doubts about the timing of Sunday's incident.
"We would have been a wee bit surprised had the police not produced some 'terrorists' - slain or alive -- in the run-up to the Republic Day," the Mail Today said.
"For the past many years encounters and arrests have been regular as the official ceremony on these occasions."
The Times of India raised several suspicions, from conflicting police versions to the fact two previous encounters had taken place in the same isolated spot in less than 10 months.
The militants not only advertised their intentions with a gun-laden bag, they also asked for directions from a tea-seller -- who just happened to be a police informer, the paper said.
"The problem is credibility of the police and the fact that nobody believes the police these days," Julio Ribeiro, former Mumbai police commissioner, told Reuters.
India's human rights commission is investigating a previous gunbattle in New Delhi last year against two suspected Islamist militants after media alleged it could have been faked.
In Sunday's incident, the police came from one of India's most lawless and corrupt states, Uttar Pradesh.
"These encounters are very murky," said Ajai Sahni, executive director at the Institute for Conflict Management.
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Doubts have been raised about police reports of a foiled attack on India's capital blamed on Pakistani militants, with newspapers wondering if the whole episode might have been staged.
The controversy is an unwelcome distraction from India's efforts to bring to book the Pakistanis it blames for November's attack on Mumbai.
Police on Sunday said they killed two militants after a car chase in Noida city on the outskirts of New Delhi on the eve of Republic Day. AK-47 rifles, grenades and a Pakistani passport were recovered, according to officials.
But the story sounded to newspapers too good to be true. The militants not only conveniently carried Pakistani identification, they also asked for directions outside Delhi with an AK-47 poking out of a bag, and then confessed before dying.
The incident came amid heightened tension with Pakistan after the Mumbai attacks late last year.
"(The doubts) hurt India's credibility more now than ever before, especially as India is now under international focus and trying to tell the world to act against terrorism after attacks on Mumbai," retired Major-General Ashok Mehta told Reuters.
Indians even have a phrase for these kind of suspicions -- "fake encounters" -- when police are accused of killing suspected criminals in cold blood and passing the incidents off as gunbattles to reap either fame or cash rewards.
"Doubts have always persisted about fake encounters and killings in India, but everything looks suspicious in this case," Mehta, a security analyst, said.
The doubts highlight a problem for India -- that many people doubt the credibility of police accounts just as the Indian government is trying to show the world that Pakistan is behind militant attacks on its soil.
"FAKE ENCOUNTERS?"
One newspaper expressed doubts about the timing of Sunday's incident.
"We would have been a wee bit surprised had the police not produced some 'terrorists' - slain or alive -- in the run-up to the Republic Day," the Mail Today said.
"For the past many years encounters and arrests have been regular as the official ceremony on these occasions."
The Times of India raised several suspicions, from conflicting police versions to the fact two previous encounters had taken place in the same isolated spot in less than 10 months.
The militants not only advertised their intentions with a gun-laden bag, they also asked for directions from a tea-seller -- who just happened to be a police informer, the paper said.
"The problem is credibility of the police and the fact that nobody believes the police these days," Julio Ribeiro, former Mumbai police commissioner, told Reuters.
India's human rights commission is investigating a previous gunbattle in New Delhi last year against two suspected Islamist militants after media alleged it could have been faked.
In Sunday's incident, the police came from one of India's most lawless and corrupt states, Uttar Pradesh.
"These encounters are very murky," said Ajai Sahni, executive director at the Institute for Conflict Management.
India is definately not going to take chances, considering what happened in Mumbai. So any suspicious person will be dealt strongly. It doesnt matter if these terrorist are killed in fake encounters. They are breeded to kill and die. So its better that they die before they kill.
ReplyDeleteOne good thing to learn from Indian press is the willingness to publish opionions freely and not worry about being branded anti-national.
ReplyDeleteThe Times of India on 29 january 2009 quoted a report saying that Indian Agencies will approach InterPol to issue a "Blue Corner" Notice. No agencies would dare to approach the Interpol if the encounter's were staged, as alleged in the above report.
ReplyDeleteI guess that in itself proves genuinity of the encounter.
P.S: please read the various reports printed by The Times of India. before drawing any conclusion because then you will know authenticity of the encounter.