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TSI INVESTIGATION
Terrorists in the system
So how does a kasab or an abu salem work in our country? through our system and us, finds out a tsi investigation
by umesh patil

Time heals. Memories fade. Rage gives way to resignation. And furtive apprehension metamorphoses into casual nonchalance. The reigning leitmotif of the Indian psyche after 26/11 was rage and apprehension. You and I just couldn’t help it every time we entered a market, a shopping mall, a train, a restaurant or even commuted to office. The thought and fear that gnawed at our innards was: where and when will the terrorists strike next? Can Indian security forces prevent these unholy warriors of a bigoted and twisted Jehad from targeting us yet again through a macabre dance of death? Can we prevent terrorists from across Pakistan and their foot soldiers acquire false identities and ‘sleep’ inside India till it is time to strike another pulverising blow?

A quiet investigation and operation carried out by The Sunday Indian reveals some shocking truths about how vulnerable India is still to terror attacks of the most brutal kind. We found out that it would be easier for a Pakistani terrorist to obtain an ‘Indian identity’ and settle down in a major city than it would be for a commuter to board a local train in Mumbai. And the sole reason is the greed and corruption that pervades our system. Here is what The Sunday Indian found when it set out to probe India’s basic safeguards against terror attacks: l Transport authorities blithely gave a driving licence to a ‘non-existent’ person. You might say that this is no big deal; that someone in Bihar even obtained a driving licence in the name of Rahul Gandhi recently. But this driving licence carries a crystal clear photo of Ajmal Kasab. And the licence was given when Kasab was arguably the best known ‘face’ in India.

1. A ‘lease deed’ was registered on court stamp paper between the ‘man’ bearing the face of Ajmal Kasab and another ‘person’ whose photo is that of Abu Salem.

2. Touts—without being aware that they were being secretly filmed—promised a ration card for the name changed Kasab.

3. The ‘landlord’ of the lease deed (Abu Salem) was given a PAN card thanks to the help of an ‘agent’.

4. The said ‘landlord’ (Abu Salem) now has a savings account in Kotak Mahindra Bank.

5. The ‘tenant’ of the lease deed (Ajmal Kasab) has been given a bona fide mobile phone connection by Airtel after ‘security checks and verification.'

Here is how we did it.

We started it by downloading the photograph of Ajmal Kasab that is freely available on the Internet for all and sundry. We scanned it and left the face as it is but changed the lower half on Photoshop. The resultant photo had the clear face of Ajmal Kasab but the dress suggested as if he is a yuppy college going boy. We also managed his fake 10th class certificate and an identity card of Delhi. We gave him a fake name, Yogesh Sharma. Similarly, we played with the identity of Abu Salem as well. But in both the cases, we left the face as it is so that it can be identified even by a school going kid. We gave Abu Salem a new identity and rechristened him Satish Kumar Sharma, s/o of Bansi Kumar Sharma.

          

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	Comments
	Aditya Mohan From Agra-- 10/18/2009 Great work done. It is extremely sad to realize that the Indian system is so weak. TSI deserves a prize for this.
	Rajesh From Chennai-- 10/8/2009 God! Help my country, yes we are morally bankrup, corrupt selling ourself so selfishl. Remember we are the Land of Ramayana & Mahabharata where people laid off their life for their motherland & citizen without having a second thought.
	R Thomas From Chennai-- 9/28/2009 I think we are taking corruption too lightly - this "termite" would eat into the very edifice of our nation. We need to severly increase the punishment / penalty - especially for government employees who are in charge of vital departments. This reflects how morally low weve fallen and how greedy weve become. Let other stated follow Keralas example - though corruption does exists, it is really much lower than in other states. Infact the governmet had some scheme that offered a reward of 25K for every corrupt one could help catch. We need to educate our masses and this will ensure them their rights.
	Emkay From Bangalore-- 9/24/2009 This is possible only because there is so much of corruption that I would not be surprised if one had taken a photograph of a corrupt officials father or mother with a fake address and got a Ration Card made i would not be surprised! Why talk of Kasab? You may try this stunt also and am sure you will succeed. As long as we measure the progress and Development by the amount spent without any proper inspection or accountability and a system of summary justice/punishment this thing would continue.As an old man of 75 yrs I have been watching this with amusemen. Our media is more obsessed with Modi and their version of secularism(-hell with countrys security-) let PM bother about spreading Naxalism! News-papers are more concerned about more editions and Ad-Revenue! A Lokayukta catches these currupt Officers like fishing in a drying lake! He catches them with their hands in the till in dozens and begs the authority to give him power to prosecute and punish as per law! But would Babudom allow? Tomorrow it may be their own kin to face the music! So no power to Lokayukta and ironically those very officials who are caught witheir pants down are promoted without even a murmur by our media or any one and the CM/PM (for centre) are mute spectaters whatever noice Moily may make! These very Babudom are capable of showing the "Tape" So what is so great about Kasabs ID card?
	amit From Bangalore-- 9/24/2009 This shows that really how greedy , careless, arrogant and foolsih are people of our country. Nevertheless, It is not teh fault of teh people but the govt at large which has not paid any attention to such things for so many years and our politicians have deaf ear to it
	Ramachandran Nair From Oman-- 9/22/2009 Your reporter Umesh Patil has done an excellent job. I must appreciate him for all his sincere efforts. No wonder, how quickly people from across the border gain access to our internal security system. It could be possible some people in India itself supporting them with necessary information and documents that ease their entry into the country. Some terrorist group today has young people with good technical background, especially on information technology etc. I recall reading about terror groups IT knowledge. Your investigation reveals how quickly one can reproduce a genuine document.

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