Ex-top cop sniffs conspiracy in Karkare death - INDIA TODAY

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Ex-top cop sniffs conspiracy in Karkare death
Mail Today Bureau
Mumbai,  October 27, 2009
Comment Buzz up! Share A  A  A Email Print Buy article A book written by a former inspector general (IG) in Maharashtra is generating fresh controversy on the death of anti-terrorism squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare and other police officers on 26/11. Karkare was killed by Pakistani terrorists Mohammed Ajmal Amir Iman Qasab and Abu Ismail. But if S.M. Mushrif is to be believed, then there is more to the murders than meets the eye. Mushrif has written a book, Who killed Karkare?, wherein he points fingers at the Intelligence Bureau (IB). He claims in his book that since independence, the IB has been repeatedly ignoring incidents of Hindu hardliners who have caused violence and instead focusing on Islamic terrorists. The former top cop also paints current Maharashtra ATS chief K.P. Raghuvanshi as a communal officer and has even hinted that Karkare was killed because Raghuvanshi, who was present at the spot on 26/11, gave him wrong directions to the location of the two terrorists. Interestingly, the wives of the slain police officers have never alleged that their husbands were killed as part of a rightwing conspiracy. Mushrif, however, is not perturbed. "I can understand their psychological condition, but I am a cop and I have done my own investigation in this," he said. When contacted, Karkare's wife Kavita said, "I cannot comment, as I haven't read the book." Vinita Kamte, wife of additional commissioner of police Ashok Kamte, said, "I cannot comment on a book which I have not read and which you claim is based on media reports." What one would find shocking is that Mushrif has based all these conspiracy 'theories' on stories and articles published in newspapers after 26/11. That a book on such a controversial and sensitive topic has been published just on the basis of reports is surely going to stir a hornet's nest. "The book is based on newspaper reports and my own investigation," Mushrif said. He defended himself when pointed out that newspaper reports could be wrong. "The reports have been taken from reputed national dailies. I acknowledge that all such reports appearing in news papers are not 100 per cent correct but then, one cannot say that all of them are wrong too. If the reports are wrong, then those who wrote them should be prosecuted," Mushrif said. When pointed out how different are his questions than that of former Union minister A.R. Antulay, Mushrif shot back: "He (Antulay) was speaking through his hat." The former IG said he has written the book based on an "alternative theory" as there was something fishy in the death of the former ATS officer and that the whole incident should be re-investigated. Courtesy: Mail Today