Doctors shocked at hostages’s torture

November 30, 2008 19:53 IST
They said that just one look at the bodies of the dead hostages as well as terrorists showed it was a battle of attrition that was fought over three days at the Oberoi and the Taj hotels in Mumbai.Doctors working in a hospital where all the bodies, including that of the terrorists, were taken said they had not seen anything like this in their lives.

“Bombay has a long history of terror. I have seen bodies of riot victims, gang war and previous terror attacks like bomb blasts. But this was entirely different. It was shocking and disturbing,” a doctor said.

Asked what was different about the victims of the incident, another doctor said: “It was very strange. I have seen so many dead bodies in my life, and was yet traumatised. A bomb blast victim’s body might have been torn apart and could be a very disturbing sight. But the bodies of the victims in this attack bore such signs about the kind of violence of urban warfare that I am still unable to put my thoughts to words,” he said.

Asked specifically if he was talking of torture marks, he said: “It was apparent that most of the dead were tortured. What shocked me were the telltale signs showing clearly how the hostages were executed in cold blood,” one doctor said.

The other doctor, who had also conducted the post-mortem of the victims, said: “Of all the bodies, the Israeli victims bore the maximum torture marks. It was clear that they were killed on the 26th itself. It was obvious that they were tied up and tortured before they were killed. It was so bad that I do not want to go over the details even in my head again,” he said.

Corroborating the doctors’ claims about torture was the information that the Intelligence Bureau had about the terror plan. “During his interrogation, Ajmal Kamal said they were specifically asked to target the foreigners, especially the Israelis,” an IB source said.

It is also said that the Israeli hostages were killed on the first day as keeping them hostage for too long would have focused too much international attention. “They also might have feared the chances of Israeli security agencies taking over the operations at the Nariman House,” he reasoned.

On the other hand, there is enough to suggest that the terrorists also did not meet a clean, death.

The doctors who conducted the post mortem said the bodies of the terrorists were beyond recognition. “Their faces were beyond recognition.”

There was no way of identifying them,” he said. Asked how, if this is the case, they knew the bodies were indeed those of the terrorists, he said: “The security forces that brought the bodies told us that those were the bodies of the terrorists,” he said, adding there was no other way they could have identified the bodies.

An intelligence agency source added: “One of the terrorists was shot through either eye.”

A senior National Security Guard officer, who had earlier explained the operation in detail to rediff.com, said the commandos went all out after they ascertained that there were no more hostages left. When asked if the commandos attempted to capture them alive at that stage, he replied: “Unko bachana kaun chahega (Who will want to save them)?”

source:rediff.com

terrorists killed,taj,oberoi,nariman house freed from terrorists

The operation to flush out terrorists from Taj Hotel is over, signalling an end to the 62-hour siege by terrorists three of whom were killed this morning in an assault by the elite commandos of National Security Guards (NSG).

However, the NSG is still sanitising the hotel to check if any remaining terrorist or explosive is still in the 400-room hotel, NSG Director General J K Dutt told reporters.

“The commandos killed three terrorists after intense gun-battle inside the hotel,” Dutt said.

An AK-47 rifle was also recovered from them.

“There was lot of shooting. Grenades were lobbed and explosives were used by the terrorists,” he said.

Dutt said the “operation” to secure the 100-year-old heritage hotel in Colaba area completely was still in progress and NSG was undertaking the combing operation.

“We cannot say the operation is over till we check the hotel. Each floor, each room will be checked” to ensure that no more terrorist is hiding in the hotel or no explosives are hidden there, the NSG chief said.

Giving details of the operation, Dutt said the terrorists would set afire the hotel rooms whenever they came under pressure from the NSG commandos.

This was to divert the attention of the NSG, he said, adding that the commandos were, however, undeterred by these tactics and continued their assault resulting in the success.

“We are also looking for any surviving guests, still locked up in the rooms and not coming out for the fear of terrorist attack,” Dutt said.

Dutt appealed to the surviving guests to open curtains of their windows to help them identify and rescue them while assuring that NSG has the expertise to neutralise the terrorists from the window.

“The body which was seen falling out of the first floor window was of a terrorist,” he said.

The forces had secured the other luxury hotel Trident Oberoi and a Jewish Centre yesterday while maintaining that a lone gunman continued to hold out inside the Taj hotel at the end of the pitched combat that left 30 hostages dead.

At the Centre, a residential complex housing a prayer hall, commandos were air dropped from helicopters in first such operation in urban India during which the security forces spent the entire day to clear it. Two terrorists were killed but not before five of the hostages were eliminated by them.

The might of the Indian security forces had to be brought in to rid these landmarks in the country’s financial capital of the heavily-armed suspected Pakistani terrorists, but the costs were heavy.

When the Oberoi was cleared of the terrorists, as many as 30 hostages were found dead raising the toll in the worst terrorist strike against India to over 160 including 16 security personnel. Eleven terrorists were also eliminated and one was captured on Friday.

Police Commissioner Hassan Gaffoor separately told reporters that four terrorists were holed up at the Taj and they were killed in the last two days.

Over ten terrorists were holed up in the three buildings — Taj, Oberoi-Trident and Nariman House in the South Mumbai, he said, adding nine of them killed and one captured.

Eyewitnesses said that there was a carnage in the Oberoi’s upper lobby restaurant ‘Tiffin’ and bodies were strewn all over in both the five star hotels.

Eerie silence was slowly descending on the city as it was coming to terms with the terror attack.

Most of the bodies were taken to J J hospital for post-mortem which had been delayed as the morgues in the South Mumbai government hospital were full.

Surgeons from another government hospital were in Oberoi-Trident to examine bodies and attend to injured.

source:news agencies

planning of Mumbai terror attack

Investigators working on the Mumbai terror attack have unearthed vital information about how the terrorists managed to enter Mumbai.

The interrogations of the two arrested terrorists, Abu Ismail and Ajmal Kamal, have revealed that 20 men were involved in the terror attack. While eight terrorists set up base in Hotel Trident and Taj Mahal Hotel ,12 others came to Mumbai in a boat.

Intelligence Bureau officials are trying to verify if the terrorists came in through the Persian Gulf.

The arrested terrorists have revealed that they hijacked two fishing boats and used them to come to Mumbai, armed with guns and ammunition.

He further stated that while one of the boats landed at Cuffe Parade near the fishermen’s colony, the other landed at Sassoon dock.

The terrorists had initially planned to send in only one team to carry out the attacks and the other team was to be kept on stand-by.

However, the plan changed at the last minute, and the terrorists decided to execute the terror attacks together, Ismail reportedly told the police.

According to the officials of the Intelligence Bureau, the attacks had been planned in  February, and this fact was confirmed by an arrested accused in the CRPF camp attack case. The accused had revealed that a Fidayeen attack had been ordered by the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and the target was Mumbai.

The accused had told the police that the LeT planned to attack the Taj Mahal Hotel and the Bombay Stock Exchange.

During his interrogation, Ismail admitted that he and his associates had undergone rigourous training for this operation, which had been planned meticulously.

Investigating officials are not ruling out the possibility of local elements providing logistical support to the terrorists.

Ismail further told the investigators that the terrorists had undergone extensive training in using AK-47 and grenades at a camp in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

During the training programme, they were shown the detailed layout of the Taj Mahal Hotel, in order to acquaint them with the topography of the places they would have to attack. After the training at PoK was complete, the entire team was shifted to Karachi, where they received training in sailing as their plan included entering India through the sea route.

source:rediff

pictures of mumbai terrorist attack(26,27,28-11-2008)

“I was  here in Mumbai  when 1993 blasts took place…but this is something bigger, uglier and more terrifying than 93 blasts” said my friend sanjay, who has been living in Mumbai from last 20 years.  “I can see frustration, suspicion and fear among the people around me” are some lines which my colleague told me over phone.

Terrorists strikes, which started on November 26, 2008 at around 8.30 p.m local time has not stopped yet. According to sources so far more than 150 people are dead and at least 400 injured in these terrorists strikes. These terrorists killed people at Hotel Taj, oberai hotel and Nariman house and chhatrapati shivaji terminus.In shivaji terminus alone at least 47 people were killed and more than 60 people were critically injured. Some of the well known faces like ATS (Anti terrorist squad) Chief Hemant Karkare, DIG Ashok Kamte and encounter specialist Vijay salaskar also lost their lives in these terrorist strikes. Also among the dead was a Greek Millionaire Andreas Liveras(owner of Liveras Yatch).

In Nariman House Jewish sect was targeted and the terrorists exactly knew what they are doing. Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivika have been held hostages. According to police sources 14 foreigners have been killed in these attacks. According to sources 40 foreign nationals have been kept hostages by the terrorists.

Deccan Mujahideen, an unknown terror outfit before nov. 26, 2008 claimed responsibility for these attacks.

“Hindus should not think that the Indian ATS, Army are well endowed with hi-tech weaponsand are brave too.We can see how brave they are in the Naxalite infested areas.This attack is in reaction to the attacks started by the Hindus from 1947.Now, There won’t be any action but only reaction and It will happen again and again till we avenge all the atrocities committed against us”

“Hindus should not think that by demolition mosques, inciting riots, weaking the economic condition of the Muslims and putting educated Muslim youth behind bars can demoralize us.No, Never…” this is the e-mail sent by so called Deccan mujahideen and they claimed to be from Hyderabad, but sources said that their accent was more from Punjab or from POK. There are clear indications that Pakistan is backing these terrorists…

 

 

 

photographs source:news agencies

the dark side of religions…

Religions-The other perspective

 

Light can not be without darkness, Happiness can not be without sorrow, Good can not be without Bad…Everything has  a different side, which we often try to oversee and neglect…God and religions is also one such thing.

All the religions have their base on social injustice and violence. Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross…which by any standard is an violent act as Jesus led a social struggle….and It was not Jesus who made Christianity….His followers made this religion..

In Hinduism…every avatar transformed the society at their time; whether it was Lord Ram or Lord Krishna…It was during the Mahabharata war that Krishna revealed Bhagwat Gita to Arjuna, amidst thousands of dead bodies.

In Islam Prophet Mohammed pointed out at social issues and fought many wars, which obviously took several lives, and eventually transformed society at that time.

 

I have serious doubts about all the religions. I firmly believe that it is the man who made this concept of religions, with his own imagination and for his own benefit…and all religions have been made by men and not women…

Why is it that not a single religion has laid any guidelines for other living beings like animals and insects!!!! What is a religion of a dog or pig or cow?

 

The primary difference between the religions of east and west is idol worship and non-idol worship. But religions which advocate non-idol worship are contradicting their own theory. The main contradiction lies in the attributes attached to almighty. The holy books of those religions which emphasizes on formless god are in fact full of attributes attached to Almighty and  thus it is impossible not to make a picture of almighty…It is again imagining and imagination contradicts the basic theory…After all imagination is  pictures made by mind!!!

In eastern religions especially in Hinduism. There is a devta or a Devi for almost everything .Gods and Goddesses is a wrong interpretation of devis and devtas as it changes the whole concept and meaning. It was a British propaganda.Devis and Devtas can be best equated with angels….Divine messengers.

Kamdev is the devta of sex; Kuber is the treasurer, Yamraj for death. Indra is the king of Devtas…Lord Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh represents creator, sustainer and destroyer and they are above the devtas. And the entity which created Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh  has no name, and can not be given any name or attribute as name and attribute will limit the basic concept…

One more question is why should we pray to God??? Why does god who has made this whole universe want us to pray to him???Why does god want us to make religions? our earth will look like a dust particle if we compare it with universe, why will God put so much importance to that dust particle!!! Or is it out of fear which compels us to pray to god…After all isn’t it that all prayers are centered around man and man’s fear and needs…

 

The concept of peace is equally disputable, first thing for peace is unrest, aggression or violence.

Our immune system is a classical example which contradicts this theory. To remain healthy, our immune system should be strong so that it can kill germs and bacteria are which are harmful to our body and killing is again an act of violence.

Does the Idea of God really liberate us or make us slaves? I think it has made more slaves, more followers and more fanatics because it shows us only one side of coin, all good things are made by God and all bad things are made by Satan!! Does this mean that Satan is as powerful as god? And why did God made Satan at the first place…..simple good can not be without bad…Same principle applies for all religions. Without Ravana there would have been no Ram. Ravana represents bad and Ram represents good…Almighty, King of Kings….etc…are all names created by man out of fear of something which is out of control of ordinary human beings.Does’nt the concept of God look like an organizational structure of any modern organization with God as Managing Director!

Division starts by birth, Name is the first step of Division, Then comes the time tested killer which has a name-Religion. Identifying with any particular religion creates an instant Submission——submission of freedom, faith, and thinking and above all submission of discrimination. The number of people killed on the name of religions will easily cross tens of millions of people across globe….But isn’t killing anyone on the name of religion and country the biggest virtue!!! This is how heroes and great men in history have been made…but is that justified!!!!!

All the religions of the world have basically limited the role of women. The number of women as Avatars or prophets is not even 5% compared to men. Does this mean that women are made inferior by creator or is it an indication that religions have been made by males and for the convenience of males? That is why a man can have two or four wives at a time and if women even dares to think something like that, it will be the greatest sin and that women should be stoned to death..!

 

I am not against God, Allah or Ishwar, after all these are names to address the creator of universe including me. But I have serious doubts about some religious concepts and terminologies…those concepts which creates divisions in societies on the name of religions, which kills us intellectually and confuses us spiritually….and above all which has given some people to license to kill on the name of faith and religions…..

 

 

 

 

 

Schedule for General Election to the Legislative Assembly of Jammu & Kashmir

 

Schedule for General Election to the Legislative Assembly of Jammu & Kashmir 1.         List of 10 (Ten) Assembly Constituencies going to polls in Phase-I as per following schedule.

Issue of Gazette Notification	Last Date for nominations	Date for Scrutiny of Nominations	Last date for withdrawal of candidatures	Date of poll if necessary
24-10-2008 (Friday)	31-10-2008 (Friday)	01-11-2008 (Saturday)	03-11-2008 (Monday)	17-11-2008 (Monday)

 

Assembly Constituency	Type	District
9-Gurez	General	Bandipora
10-Bandipora	General	Bandipora
11-Sonawari	General	Bandipora
47-Nobra	General	Leh
48-Leh	General	Leh
49-Kargil	General	Kargil
50-Zanskar	General	Kargil
85-Surankote	General	Poonch
86-Mendhar	General	Poonch
87-Poonch-Haveli	General	Poonch

 

2.         List of 6 (Six) Assembly Constituencies going to polls in Phase-II as per following schedule.

 

Date of Issue of Gazette Notification	Last Date for nominations	Date for Scrutiny of Nominations	Last date for withdrawal of candidatures	Date of poll
29.10.08 (Wednesday)	05.11.08 (Wednesday)	06.11.08 (Thursday)	08.11.08 (Saturday)	23.11.08 (Sunday)

 

Assembly Constituency	Type	District
16-Kangan	General	Ganderbal
17-Ganderbal	General	Ganderbal
81-Nowshara	General	Rajouri
82-Darhal	General	Rajouri
83-Rajouri	General	Rajouri
84-Kalakote	General	Rajouri

3.         List of 5 (Five) Assembly Constituencies going to polls in Phase-III as per following schedule.

 

Date of Issue of Gazette Notification	Last Date for nominations	Date for Scrutiny of Nominations	Last date for withdrawal of candidatures	Date of poll
04.11.08 (Tuesday)	11.11.08 (Tuesday)	12.11.08 (Wednesday)	14.11.08 (Friday)	30.11.08 (Sunday)

 

 

Assembly Constituency	Type	District
01-Karnah	General	Kupwara
02-Kupwara	General	Kupwara
03-Lolab	General	Kupwara
04-Handwara	General	Kupwara
05-Langate	General	Kupwara

 

4.         List of 18 (Eighteen) Assembly Constituencies going to polls in Phase-IV as per following schedule.

 

Date of Issue of Gazette Notification	Last Date for nominations	Date for Scrutiny of Nominations	Last date for withdrawal of candidatures	Date of poll
10.11.08 (Monday)	17.11.08 (Monday)	18.11.08 (Tuesday)	20.11.08 (Thursday)	07.12.08 (Sunday)

 

Assembly Constituency	Type	District
06-Uri	General	Baramulla
07-Rafiabad	General	Baramulla
08-Sopore	General	Baramulla
12-Sangrama	General	Baramulla
13-Baramulla	General	Baramulla
14-Gulmarg	General	Baramulla
15-Pattan	General	Baramulla
26-Chadoora	General	Budgam
27-Badgam	General	Budgam
28-Beerwah	General	Budgam
29-Khansahib	General	Budgam
30-Chrar-i-Sharief	General	Budgam
57-Gulabgarh	General	Reasi
58-Reasi	General	Reasi
59-Gool Arnas	General	Reasi
60-Udhampur	General	Udhampur
61-Chenani	SC	Udhampur
62-Ramnagar	General	Udhampur

5.         List of 11 (Eleven) Assembly Constituencies going to polls in Phase-V as per following schedule.

 

 

Date of Issue of Gazette Notification	Last Date for nominations	Date for Scrutiny of Nominations	Last date for withdrawal of candidatures	Date of poll
17.11.08 (Monday)	24.11.08 (Monday)	25.11.08 (Tuesday)	27.11.08 (Thursday)	13.12.08  (Saturday)

 

Assembly Constituency	Type	District
31-Tral	General	Pulwama
32-Pampore	General	Pulwama
33-Pulwama	General	Pulwama
34-Rajpora	General	Pulwama
35-Wachi	General	Shopian
36-Shopian	General	Shopian
63-Bani	General	Kathua
64-Basohli	General	Kathua
65-Kathua	General	Kathua
66-Billawar	General	Kathua
67-Hiranagar	SC	Kathua

 

6.         List of 16 (Sixteen) Assembly Constituencies going to polls in Phase-VI as per following schedule.

 

Date of Issue of Gazette Notification	Last Date for nominations	Date for Scrutiny of Nominations	Last date for withdrawal of candidatures	Date of poll
22.11.08 (Saturday)	29.11.08 (Saturday)	01.12.08 (Monday)	03.12.08 (Wednesday)	17.12.08 (Wednesday)

 

Assembly Constituency	Type	District
37-Noorabad	General	Kulgam
38-Kulgam	General	Kulgam
39-Home-shalibugh	General	Kulgam
40-Anantnag	General	Anantnag
41-Devsar	General	Kulgam
42-Doru	General	Anantnag
43-Kokernag	General	Anantnag
44-Shangus	General	Anantnag
45-Bijbehara	General	Anantnag
46-Pahalgam	General	Anantnag
51-Kishtwar	General	Kishtwar
52-Inderwal	General	Kishtwar
53-Doda	General	Doda
54-Bhaderwah	General	Doda
55-Ramban	SC	Ramban
56-Banihal	General	Ramban

7.         List of 21 (Twenty One) Assembly Constituencies going to polls in Phase-VII as per following schedule.

 

Date of Issue of Gazette Notification	Last Date for nominations	Date for Scrutiny of Nominations	Last date for withdrawal of candidatures	Date of poll
26.11.08 (Wednesday)	03.12.08 (Wednesday)	04.12.08 (Thursday)	06.12.08 (Saturday)	24.12.08 (Wednesday)

 

Assembly Constituency	Type	District
18-Hazratbal	General	Srinagar
19-Zadibal	General	Srinagar
20-Idgah	General	Srinagar
21-Khanyar	General	Srinagar
22-Habbakadal	General	Srinagar
23-Amirakadal	General	Srinagar
24-Sonawar	General	Srinagar
25-Batamaloo	General	Srinagar
68-Samba	SC	Samba
69-Vijaypur	General	Samba
70-Nagrota	General	Jammu
71-Gandhinagar	General	Jammu
72-Jammu East	General	Jammu
73-Jammu West	General	Jammu
74-Bishnah	General	Jammu
75-R.S.Pura	SC	Jammu
76-Suchetgarh	General	Jammu
77-Marh	General	Jammu
78-Raipur Domana	SC	Jammu
79-Akhnoor	General	Jammu
80-Chhamb	SC	Jammu

 

8.         The dates of counting and completion of the elections will be 28.12.2008 (Sunday) and 31.12.2008 (Wednesday) respectively.