Ex-RAW director granted bail in spying case

After remaining in jail for four years, a retired Director of Research and Analysis Wing RAW arrested for passing sensitive information to a CIA agent was today granted bail by a local court which also restrained him from leaving the country.
Additional Session Judge Inder Jeet Singh gave the reprieve to Brigadier (Retd) Ujjawal Dasgupta, who has been in jail since July 19, 2006, on a personal and surety bond of Rs 75,000 each.
Dasgupta, former Director (Computers), RAW, was arrested for allegedly violating the Official Secrets Act by passing on sensitive information to an American diplomat Rosanna Minchew who was allegedly acting as a spy.
Taking into consideration his advanced age of over 64 years and the fact that that other co-accused in the case were out on bail, the court granted relief to the former Brigadier who has been charged with offences punishable upto 14 years jail term. The court, however, warned him against contacting any witnesses of the case.
The other accused in the case Commodore (Retd) Mukesh Saini, who was working with the National Security Council Secretariat and a Senior System Analyst Shib Shankar Paul at the Secretariat, have already been released on bail. All of them were arrested in 2006 by the Delhi Police Special Cell on charges of passing secret information Minchew. Dasgupta was looking after the development of a ‘Anveshak’, a database management system. The court, in its “prima facie” observation, said Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory analysis of seized hard disk showed that that computer files related to Anveshak were last accessed in March 2005.
The American Diplomat was given visa in August, 2005 to coordinate Indo-US Cyber Security Forum. The Delhi High Court had on July two turned down a plea of a retired Director of RAW seeking direction to disclose information under the RTI Act about the software ‘Anveshak’ which was crucial to his defence in the espionage case filed against him.

Ex-RAW director granted bail in spying case

After remaining in jail for four years, a retired Director of Research and Analysis Wing RAW arrested for passing sensitive information to a CIA agent was today granted bail by a local court which also restrained him from leaving the country.
Additional Session Judge Inder Jeet Singh gave the reprieve to Brigadier (Retd) Ujjawal Dasgupta, who has been in jail since July 19, 2006, on a personal and surety bond of Rs 75,000 each.
Dasgupta, former Director (Computers), RAW, was arrested for allegedly violating the Official Secrets Act by passing on sensitive information to an American diplomat Rosanna Minchew who was allegedly acting as a spy.
Taking into consideration his advanced age of over 64 years and the fact that that other co-accused in the case were out on bail, the court granted relief to the former Brigadier who has been charged with offences punishable upto 14 years jail term. The court, however, warned him against contacting any witnesses of the case.
The other accused in the case Commodore (Retd) Mukesh Saini, who was working with the National Security Council Secretariat and a Senior System Analyst Shib Shankar Paul at the Secretariat, have already been released on bail. All of them were arrested in 2006 by the Delhi Police Special Cell on charges of passing secret information Minchew. Dasgupta was looking after the development of a ‘Anveshak’, a database management system. The court, in its “prima facie” observation, said Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory analysis of seized hard disk showed that that computer files related to Anveshak were last accessed in March 2005.
The American Diplomat was given visa in August, 2005 to coordinate Indo-US Cyber Security Forum. The Delhi High Court had on July two turned down a plea of a retired Director of RAW seeking direction to disclose information under the RTI Act about the software ‘Anveshak’ which was crucial to his defence in the espionage case filed against him.

Over Rs.60 lakh withdrawn fraudulently from Air Force’s public fund

A case of fraudulent withdrawal of money from Indian Air Force’s public fund account with a nationalized bank has been detected by AFCAO (Air Force Central Accounts Office) officials.

The withdrawals were done using counterfeit cheques with forged signatures that were cleared by the bank.

The IAF has instituted an enquiry into the case and has also filed an FIR with the civil police. The IAF has also ordered validation of all its public and non-public accounts held at all Air Force establishments.

In a systematic fraud over a week from June 4-10, a total of 15 cheques amounting to Rupees 48,41,910 have been realized through the Bank against accounts of purportedly non-existent individuals, across the country.

The fraudsters, however, have managed to withdraw about Rs. 14 lakhs through various ATMs across several states, according to bank sources. The exact figure is yet to be ascertained.

The bank has, meanwhile, agreed to reverse the entire lost amount to the IAF’s Public Fund, as it was their responsibility to verify the genuineness of the cheques and their signatories. The cheques were dropped at drop boxes at various places and the banking system failed to detect the fraudulent cheques with fake signatures.

INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL : SALMAN KHAN AND ARBAZ KHAN WITH INDIAN NAVY

On the occasion of the Independence Day , Salman Khan and Arbaz Khan interacts with the Indian Navy Personnel on board INS Hansa at Goa. He had a lunch with the Naval Personnel.Indian Naval Personnel enjoyed on this occasion and the enthusiasm level was also increases. Khan brothers did Bhangra with the Naval tigers. Hats off to you Sallu Bhai. We Salute the Indian Navy and their families to be a part of the Navy. Here are some snapshot.

Indian Navy, Coast Guard making frantic efforts as Mumbai oil slick spreads

The Indian Navy and Coast Guard are making frantic efforts to contain the oil leak following the collision of two cargo ships off the Mumbai coast, which has entered its third day today, and is spreading fast and thick.“Six ships and a helicopter with anti pollution disposal spray systems have been put on the job to contain the oil spill,” said a Coast Guard official.

“Fishing associations have been also requested not to carry out any fishing activities till the oil spill is contained,” he added.

It has been reported that traffic at the harbour has been partially suspended as a precaution following the fall of around 200 oil containers from the MSC Chitra, an outbound merchant vessel from Navi Mumbai, after a collision with another vessel, the MV Khalijia-III on Saturday.

“MSC Chitra has tilted 80 degrees and the total oil spill is nearly 50 tonnes. So far, 300 containers carrying oil have tumbled into the water,” said Arun Singh, Commandant (Operations), Coast Guard.

There are reports that a high-level meeting has been called to assess the situation and discuss the steps that should be taken to bring the situation under control.

Officials of Maharashtra Government Environment Department, National Disaster Response Force, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Shipping Department, Mumbai Port Trust and other concerned agencies are expected to attend the meeting.

The Directorate General of Shipping has initiated an investigation into the incident.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan expressing concern over the issue said all efforts are being made to contain the leak.

“This is a serious issue. We have already filed cases against the captains of the two ships, which are from abroad. Today, I am going to have an aerial look at the accident site. We are trying to contain the leak as far as possible,” he added.

Mumbai Port Trust chairman Rahul Asthana, however, said the spill was not major, but admitted that the position of the MSC Chitra was ‘dangerous’.

Lt Gen (Retd) Kapil Vij, AVSM passes away

Lieutenant General (Retired) Kapil ‘Lala’ Vij, Ati Vishist Seva Medal, breathed his last in the R&R Hospital Delhi (Cantt ) on the evening of 4 August 2010. He was in the Intensive Care Unit there for over six weeks, on and off the ventilator, under treatment for the second attack of cancer.

Last post, held by him was that of Director General Rashtriya Rifles. He was Senior Instructor (Army) Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, India too. Was Chief of Staff to Gen Sangra, the Western (?) Army Commander. He was GOC 2 (Strike) Corps, during Op “Parakarman”. ARTRAC got him next. He was GOC 18 (Rapid) Division, before that. The Indian Military attaché in Yugoslavia, he was there, when Julio Reberio, of ‘Bullet for Bullet’ fame was ambassador. At the regiment level he was Commanding Officer 70 Armoured Regiment (Missiles). He was Roddy’s ( later Indian Army Chief, much later Governor a few sates/UT) ) Brigade Major in high-altitude. We were commissioned on 9 Feb 1964 from the IMA. He went to a cavalry regiment, me to 4/3 Gorkha Rifles. He is the one who had motivated me to sign up for the gurkhas, and not the EME, after seeing me fight it out on the football pitch in the National Defence Academy, Karakvasla, near Pune, Maharastra!

He was badly wounded in the 1971 War in Fazilka’s Foxtrot Sector on 7 December….a High Explosive shell of a Pakistani up-gunned Sherman tank found its mark through the loop-hole of the bunker from where he was directing fire of the pilot of his SS11B1 anti-tank guided missiles ( ATGM) on to the hull down Pakistani Shermans. Used to look him up when he was down and out in hospital. He was Mentioned in Despatches, but he stopped hearing from his right ear, & brother did it run! When I had blown all fuses, once, in 1979, he gave me the leg-up. Very compassionate. Cool, calm, always cheerful and smiling, lion hearted and forgiving – qualities that are required of a senior officer and worth emulating.

His Squadron Commander Dhiru Randhawa was badly wounded too in the 1971 War…… Dhiru’s son later set the golf courses on fire and answered to the very non-Khalsa handle of Jyoti. He married his sweet heart, a very comely Merrut-wali jatni, a former Miss Delhi; Tina to us in 4/3 GR; born as daughter of Lt Col Niranjan Singh. She is now world famous as the very acclaimed film star, Chitranagdha of “Hazaron Khwashian”; fame, now soon appearing in a leading role opposite Akshay Kumar and John Abraham in Desi Boys.

Niranjan is a 3 GR paltan wala of our’s. Tina’s brother Dig Vijay Singh; Bittu to us in Four Third , also swung a very mean golf club, and along with his brother-in-law gave world golf champions the world over, a run for their money!

Kapil’s elder sister married a Deo for love. She is a retired IFS officer, last, posted in the USA. There, she was even senior to Ambassador Ronen Sen of the ‘headless chicken’ fame! Kapil, in the NDA, used to tell us of her & her beating it up in New Delhi-CP’s Wheels under-ground joint where single men were denied entrance! One had to have a date on the arm to gain respectful entry to Wheels. I went there with my Cuckoo, then aged three, in 1980. She set the dance-floor stage on fire. All the firangs present asked for encores!!! And they were not high on grass only. Cuckoo was a born foot-tapper. She broke my heart when she married a few years back. But she & her beau are very happy, so who am I to crib?

When in the undivided Punjab, Lala Vij; Kapil’s father; acquiesced to the request of one of his serfs, one Shri Nikhunj;…. said, it was okay by him should he also christen his first born son : Kapil. This second Kapil later set the cricket pitches the world over on fire when he gained fame as the Harriyana Hurricane! Ajai, Kapil’s brother is still in touch with him from Germany.

He was in Babina, where 70 Armd Regt was under raising then. He was motor battalion of the 2 (I) Armoured Brigade. This was way back in the late 1960s. He always showed up for our Dusserahs. I think, that the gurkha in him never really died. He was, at one time in the NDA, seriously contemplating, joining one of the Gorkha regiments, much impressed by (Major) John Master’s “ Bugles and a Tiger” and “Road Past Manadalay”, the defacto record of the gallant doings of the kanchas of 2/4 Gorkha Rifles, John Master’s Regiment, in its fighting in Burma during the Second World War. I was keen on tanks, having grown up in Ahmednagar, the home base of all cavaliers. My father, then, was with the TDEV; now Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (VRDE). TDEV approved trials of all A and B vehicles prior to induction in to the Indian Army. I’ve played hide and seek in derelict Centurians and Stuarts, abandoned in the shallow ravines opposite the Hathi- bowli, as a kid, and studied in the Armoured Corps Children’s School, both English, and after its packing-up; Hindi Wing.

Not many know that Kapil joined NDA as a naval cadet to start with! A very able rider, he was in the Academy polo team right from the beginning. With him on the team were Sparrow’s younger son, Mau Shergill (retd as a Lt Gen) and Amrinder Singh, the Maharaja of Patiala, a former Chief Minister of Punjab.

Taps for him for good. Last post, in Brar Square on 6 August 2010. Thousands. Not a dry eye for miles around! Many ceremonial salutes; many salaami shastras, many khukri salutes, many bye-byes in perpetuity. Look after yourself. Take care. GOD bless YOU, Horsey! R. I. P.

Armed forces Mount Massive Rescue and Relief Operations in Leh

New Delhi, 06 Aug 10 (PIB) The Armed Forces under the guidance of the Ministry of Defence have mounted massive rescue and relief operations for the victims of the devastating cloudburst in Leh. Initial reports indicate extensive damage due to flash floods and mudslides. Civilian areas like the bus-stand, BSNL towers, hospitals, the runway of the Leh airport and the ATC towers have been affected.

The road approaches to Leh from Srinagar through Zozilla and from Rohtang Pass have been cut-off due to washing away of bridges by mudslides. 25 Army Jawans are reported missing. The Defence Institute of High Altitude Research of DRDO has also been damaged.

The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has directed Ministry of Defence to provide all-out rescue and relief assistance to cloudburst victims in Leh. The Defence Minister Shri AK Antony, who is personally monitoring the operation, took a series of meetings of senior officials of MoD, the Services and DRDO this morning. The Defence Secretary Shri Pradeep Kumar is in close touch with the State Administration of Jammu & Kashmir to ensure coordinated effort for the relief operations.

22 Columns of Army personnel under the leadership of 14 Corps are busy in relief and rescue operations. Nearly 400 critically injured people have already been evacuated by the makeshift hospitals by the Army. All the civilian doctors in the Leh District Hospital have been operating from Army Hospital, Leh as the Civil Hospital has been filled with mud. The Tri-Service Disaster Management Committee of the Ministry of Defence met in New Delhi, this afternoon to take stock of the situation. Adequate number of aircraft and helicopters are available at Kargil, Chandigarh and Udhampur to move to Leh. ATC and airport at Leh is expected to be operational by late evening, today. There are enough foodgrain stocks available at Leh. If necessary, essential commodities will be airlifted to Leh. DRDO is also providing medicines and relief materials. Indian Air Force has been directed to airlift civilians, if needed. A medical team along with essential medical supplies has been kept on standby for flying them to Leh after the runway is operationalized.

CAG report on Sea Harrier of Indian Navy

India's national audit watchdog agency, the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) has severely criticised the Indian Navy's upgrade of 14 Sea Harriers. The Navy embarked on the upgrade -- called the Limited Upgrade Sea Harrier (LUSH) programme -- in March 2005.

The new CAG union audit report on the Indian Navy, tabled in Parliament yesterday, observes, "The contract for limited upgradation was concluded but only in March 2005. The delay was mainly on account of finalising technical requirements, issuing the Request for Proposal, conducting Technical Evaluation for the missile and associated radar. Not only did this delay defeat the very purpose of execution of the project on fast track basis but the Navy would also be able to exploit the upgraded Sea Harrier aircraft for a very limited period only, i.e about three years or less. Even subsequently, there were delays in the execution of the programme by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the first milestone of handing over two prototypes to Navy by February 2007 could not be achieved.

Consequently, delivery of the remaining aircraft, scheduled for February 2008 was postponed to December 2009."

Further, the report says, "The Sea Harrier has had, over the past few years, a very high attrition rate. In fact, subsequent to the time of mooting the proposal, in October 2001, Navy lost two aircraft in August 2003 and December 2004. Despite being aware of these facts, Navy initially committed all its aircraft for the upgradation though they ultimately reduced one aircraft from the final contract. Further they did not include any provision in the contract for payment on prorata basis depending on the number of aircraft upgraded by the vendor. As a result, after conclusion of contract, when more aircraft were lost in accidents, Navy had no option but to make payment of Rs 204.30 crore to HAL towards upgradation of these nonexistent aircraft lost in the interim period. Navy would, however, be able to setoff only Rs 16.16 crore payable to HAL for their services."

Damningly, the CAG report also notes that the Navy was "predisposed" towards selecting the Rafael-made Derby BVR missile "even though the missile did not fulfil the needs of the Indian Navy". The report notes, "The RFP issued in August 2003 stipulated that the IN’s requirement was for the Derby missile. As no corrigendum to the RFP was issued, clearly, competition in procurement was ruled out. As a result, although the RFP was issued to seven firms and an extension was granted till October 2003, only the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of the Derby missile responded. The trial directives were issued in March 2008 after scaling down the NSQRs at the instance of vendor. Consequently, the acceptable maximum range of the missile was reduced from ‘A’ Km to ‘B’ Km, which was 54 per cent of the original accepted range. Actual live firing of missile was conducted, in March 2008, on an upgraded prototype Sea Harrier aircraft at a range of ‘B’ Km for missile in mid envelope scenario (33 67 per cent). The vendor was unwilling to guarantee performance of the missile beyond the scaled downrange of ‘B’ Km. One of the basic aims of the acquisition of BVR Air to Air missile was to destroy targets at beyond visual ranges of up to ‘C’ Km. However, the missiles acquired failed to achieve the desired ranges in the live firing. The capability of the seeker, at the range prescribed in NSQR (‘A’ Km) was also not demonstrated in live firing. Moreover, the missile launcher design is being used for the first time for airborne operations."

US-Russia to conduct first joint defence exercise

The US and Russia will hold their first-ever joint air defence exercise Aug 8-11, aimed at testing their anti-terrorism systems with a staged plane hijacking.
The exercise, codenamed Vigilant Eagle, involves Russian, Canadian and US Air Force personnel operating from command centres at the Elmendorf airbase in Alaska, US and in Khabarovsk, Russia.

“Airborne warning and control aircraft (AWACS E-3B and A-50) from Russia and the US will be involved along with fighter-interceptor aircraft and refuelling aircraft from both countries,” North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) said in a statement Tuesday.

The scenario will create a situation that requires both the Russian Air Force and NORAD to launch or divert fighter aircraft to investigate and follow a US-flagged commercial air carrier on an international flight that has been taken over by terrorists.

The exercise will be carried out under a cooperative military agreement between Russia and the US, which tasks NORAD, the bi-national US and Canadian command, to conduct a live-fly exercise.

Defence Minister on Coastal Security

Defence Minister A.K. Antony on said the Central Government has initiated several measures to strengthen Coastal Security, adding that coastal surveillance and patrolling have been enhanced for this purpose.

"Joint and operational exercises are conducted on regular basis among Navy, Coast Guard, Coastal Police, Customs and others to check the effectiveness of the integrated approach adopted for security of coastal areas," said Antony in reply to a written question in the Lok Sabha.

The Defence Minister further said the Central Government has established continuous review and monitoring mechanism at different levels, which include various agencies, including the State and Union Territory authorities.

"Necessary funds are also made available as and when required," he added.

Army officer with AK-47 bullets arrested

An Indian Army officer was arrested at the Lucknow airport Sunday after two AK-47 cartridges were found in his baggage. The Officer is Identified as Captain Varun Mishra, the officer had come on leave to his hometown Bahraich, and was on his way back to his place of posting in Goa when he was taken into custody by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) before boarding a flight to New Delhi.

Even as the officer pleaded that the two cartridges were with him by mistake, CISF personnel at the airport refused to let him off. He did not possess any weapon.

According to Lucknow’s Deputy Inspector General of Police Rajiv Krishna, a case was registered against the officer at the Sarojini Nagar police station and he was being handed over to local army authorities.