‘Bandra woman forewarned CM, cops’

‘Bandra woman forewarned CM, cops’

After charging the state government with backing the Azad Maiadan rioters, the Bhartiya Janata Party has now pointed a finger at the lack of police action against the culprits involved in the riots despite prior intimation. In fact, the party while producing a picture of the Raza Academy head with home minister RR Patil, claimed that the police are going soft on the organisors of the Azad Maidan rally due to their closeness of the politicians. According to BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari, a Bandra-based woman had forewarned the Zone-VIII and IX DCPs of the plot to disturb the rally being hatched by an externed goon. “The letter sent nearly five days before the rally, demanded the arrest of Salim Lightwala, who was externed in April 2012. The woman had stated that Lightwala and his accomplices were hatching the plot and had even gathered a haul of arms and ammunition. Had the police acted in time, the violence could have been averted,” he added. On August 14, the woman allegedly wrote another letter demanding the arrest of Lightwala for his involvement. “Though its not established if Lightwala was actively involved in the riot, the two persons killed in police firing are among the 12 names mentioned in the woman’s letter,” said Bhandari, adding that, the person has not been arrested yet. Without divulging any details, Bhandari also claimed that responsible members of the minority community had forewarned chief minister Prithviraj Chavan too of the possibility of an untoward incident on the day. “Prominent Muslim community members expressed their scepticism to Chavan during an iftaar organised by the commissioner Arup Patnaik a few weeks before the incident,” he added. Of the picture of RR Patil and minister of state for housing Sachin Ahir shot with the Raza Academy chief Maulana Moin Miya seven days before the incident, Bhandari said the picture was taken in the academy’s Mumbai office. “Though there is nothing wrong in posing with spiritual leaders of any community, I believe their closeness with political leaders has hampered police action against the people involved in the riot.” The maulana is accused number 7 in the Azad Maidan riot case.