Letter from Chennai: Security main topic of discussion in TN

The security interests of Tamil Nadu were the main topic of discussion in the state last week, particularly in the context of the countrywide alert against terrorism on December 6, the 10th anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid.

It was, however, also a mixed bag so far as the government's efforts to ensure security and maintain law and order were concerned.

Early in the week the prosecution had egg on its face when the Coimbatore Special Court trying a case of conspiracy against 19 people, including Al Umma leader S.A. Basha in 1993, acquitted all the accused on the ground that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges.

However, 12 of the accused, including Basha, who are also accused in the serial bomb blasts which killed over 60 people in the city, were ordered to be kept in custody.

But so far as the sudden resurgence of Naxalism in Dharmapuri district is concerned, it was said that the threat was nothing to worry about as the state police had effectively contained it.

This certificate came from the Home Secretary to the Government of India, N. Gopalaswami, who had meetings with the state police chief Nailwal and Home Secretary Syed Munir Hoda. The Naxal menace has been handed over to the 'Q' Branch of the police.

Over the whole of the past week, the police have swung into action to ensure security in the context of the Babri Masjid anniversary. About 75,000 police personnel were deployed all over the state, particularly since the anniversary coincided with Eid Al Fitr.

In all, 8,000 police personnel were on duty in Chennai. Railway stations, airports, temples, mosques and other places of worship were closely watched.

As the police tightened security cover, a new militant caucus was exposed. Last Sunday, two alleged militants were nabbed by the police in Chennai. They were identified as Zakariah (28), also known as Abu Yahya and Toufiq (27) aka Yasser. Three more people were picked up from Tanjore district and another from Tirunelveli district. A search has been launched to arrest two more suspects.

Chennai Police Commissioner Vijayakumar said the later arrests followed information from the two captured in Chennai.

He also said these people were believed to be planning a major offensive against places of worship, intended to raise communal passions as also to kill several political leaders. He also revealed that explosives were seized from the first two to be arrested in Chennai.

Toufiq was accused of murder about two years ago in Tanjore district, but he had escaped to the Gulf then. He returned to Chennai about three months ago. Zakariah was working as an air-conditioning mechanic in a Gulf country.

The two belong to a newly organised group called the "Muslim Defence Force" (MDF) having links with other militant outfits. The organisation is believed to be in its formative stage, headed by Abu Hamsa. After his induction Toufiq had returned to Chennai with orders to convert 'Dalits' to Islam. For this purpose a cover organisation called 'New Vision' was floated. Funds for the organisation were apparently routed through Abu Yahya.

Another MDF recruit, Aamin Bakri, brother-in-law of Jihad Committee's Imam Ali, shot dead in Bangalore, also went abroad for a meeting with Abu Hamsa. Aamin Bakri later, according to Vijayakumar, went to Sri Lanka to hold discussions with militant leaders there on arms and explosives training to the MDF.

Initially, a special investigation team had accidentally come upon the network on a tip off from Hyderabad after the shoot-out there in which another alleged militant, Abdul Salaam was killed.

Since the first spate of arrests, several more have been made. The police, for example, took into custody three people, Ali Ullah Imam in Tanjore district, Nizamudeen and Khader, all from Mallipattinam in the same district.

The police are looking into the funding of the MDF. Hawala transactions are said to be one of the major sources of funds.

Apart from the security crisis, Tamil Nadu is waiting for the judgement in the Tansi case, where hearing was completed more than two months ago in the Supreme Court.

The case arose from public interest litigation cases filed by a DMK lawyer, Bharati and Janata Party's Subramanian Swamy against the Madras High Court judgement, which cleared Jayaram Jayalalithaa and others of corruption charges and subsequent sentence initially pronounced by a Special Court in Chennai.

The Special Court judgement effectively disqualified Jayalali-thaa from contesting elections. That disqualification was removed by the High Court judgement, following which she contested the election from Andipatti, came out victorious and became chief minister of Tamil Nadu.

So much now depends on the Supreme Court judgement.