Crime Watch – Newsletter for December 6, 2010

Fresh evidence says Sarabjit is innocent: Pakistani lawyer

CHANDIGARH – A new mercy petition for Sarabjit Singh – the Indian who is on death row in Pakistan – has been sent to the president of that country, says his Pakistani lawyer who also claims to have submitted fresh evidence to prove it is a case of mistaken identity.

Sheikh, who is handling the …. Read the original article  : Fresh evidence says Sarabjit is innocent: Pakistani lawyer.

Sarkozy backs UNSC bid, India-France ink n-deals

NEW DELHI – French President Nicolas Sarkozy Monday backed India’s bid for a permanent seat at the UN Security Council and also called upon Pakistan to fight terrorism even as India and France signed seven deals, most of them for setting up two nuclear plants.

“It (UNSC seat) is not just an important matter for …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Sarkozy backs UNSC bid, India-France ink n-deals.

Cash from pilgrims used to finance 26/11: WikiLeaks

LONDON – Militants often use the annual Haj pilgrimage for laundering money and cash from pilgrims was used to finance the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, a confidential US embassy cable published by whistle-blower websitse WikiLeaks says.

A Sky News report cites the New York Times as detailing a long list of possible methods terrorists might [..] Read the original article: here.

US doubtful about winning war on Pakistan border

WASHINGTON – US diplomats in Pakistan are sceptical about eventually winning the military struggle in Pakistan’s badlands, saying peace talks go nowhere and murderous militants control key towns, a leaked State Department cable made available to Wikileaks reveals.

A long cable from the US consulate in Peshawar also says eight years of airstrikes, military patrols … Read this article on Gaea Times at : US doubtful about winning war on Pakistan border.

Rebels kill pro-Maoist activist

KOLKATA – A member of the pro-Maoist tribal body, Peoples’ Committee Against Police Atrocities, was killed by the rebels in West Bengal’s West Midnapore district because they suspected him to be an informer, police said Monday.

“Asit Bera was dragged out of his home Sunday night and later shot. His body was found in Bachurkhamar …. Read the original article  : here.

Guerrillas attack Kashmir police officer’s house

SRINAGAR – Heavily armed separatist guerrillas attacked the residence of the Sopore police chief in Jammu and Kashmir by opening fire and hurling grenades, police said Monday.

The guerrillas fired at least four grenades followed by heavy firing from automatic weapons at the official residence of Superintendent of Police Altaf Khan in north Kashmir’s Sopore, …. Read the original article  : Guerrillas attack Kashmir police officer’s house.

Maoist shutdown hits NMDC iron ore transportation

RAIPUR – A weeklong shutdown enforced by Maoists has hit iron ore transportation by NMDC Ltd, India’s largest iron ore producer and exporter in the public sector, at its key mining facilities in Chhattisgarh, an official said Monday.

NMDC Ltd has several mines at Bailadila in insurgency-riddled Dantewada district in Chhattisgarh where it produces more … Read more : Maoist shutdown hits NMDC iron ore transportation.

Pakistan declares Afghan border region militant-free

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s security forces have managed to get more than 85 percent of the country’s troubled Orakzai agency cleared from the militants to enable return of displaced people, authorities said.

Orakzai is one of the seven agencies in the federally administered tribal area of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan, where the security forces launched a crackdown … Original article on : Pakistan declares Afghan border region militant-free.

Greek police charge six with terrorism after raid

ATHENS – Police Sunday charged six people of having connections with a terrorist group after confiscating guns and explosives at various locations across Greece.

The suspects range in age from 21-30 and include one woman. They were detained following police raids in Athens, the port of Piraeus, the western town of Agrinio and the southern … Read more : Greek police charge six with terrorism after raid.

WikiLeaks: LeT planned to kill Modi, set up bases in south India

WASHINGTON – Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), blamed for Mumbai terror attack, had planned to assassinate Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and use Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu as a strike base in southern India, a leaked US diplomatic cable reveals.

A June 19, 2009 secret State Department cable signed (Secretary of State Hillary) Clinton … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : WikiLeaks: LeT planned to kill Modi, set up bases in south India.

Kishenji alive and fit, reveal arrested Maoist leaders

KOLKATA – Ending the confusion over elusive top Maoist leader Kishenji’s health, arrested rebel leaders have revealed he is alive and fully fit, police said Sunday.

“During interrogation, Sudip Chongdar alias Kanchan, the state committee secretary of Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) and other state committee members arrested Friday, have revealed that Koteshwar Rao alias [..] Read the original article: here.

India may allow Pakistan access to 26/11 witnesses

NEW DELHI – India may allow an investigating team from Pakistan to question Mumbai witnesses of the 2008 terror attack so that the trial against militant conspirators arrested in that country could be concluded.

According to informed sources, the government is awaiting “necessary opinion from the Bombay High Court – where the case is …. Read the original article  : India may allow Pakistan access to 26/11 witnesses.

Abducted official offered dog meat by Garo militants

SHILLONG – A Meghalaya government official, abducted and held hostage by Garo rebels for nearly two months, Sunday said he had been offered dog meat during his captivity but subsisted on a vegetarian diet.

“They (the rebels) always went to nearby villages and brought dog meat, pork, dry rotis (chapattis) and (lentil) dal for … Read more >>.

Greek police nab nine suspected terrorists

ATHENS – Counter-terrorism police raided hideouts across Greece belonging to terrorism group Sect of Revolutionaries, confiscating a cache of guns and explosives and arresting at least nine people, reports said Sunday.

Police officials said three machine guns, seven handguns, grenades and 50 kg of explosive powder and 200 grams of TNT were discovered in a …. Original source  : Greek police nab nine suspected terrorists.