Bidari confirms ISI has spread its evil tentacles into Bangalore, police nick two

The city police have unearthed Pakistan Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) agency’s plot to engage Maoists to carry out subversive activities in the country. Two persons were arrested.

The arrested persons, Vinay Kumar, 30, of Ramanathapura in Hassan’s Arkalgud taluk, and Devaiah alias Sachin, 33, of Kirgur in Virajpet taluk of Kodagu district, were recruited by Dubai-based Altaf alias Rakesh, a Mangalore native and associate of underworld criminal Chhota Shakeel, city police commissioner Shankar M Bidari said.

The men were arrested following an intelligence tip off.  A country-made pistol, seven rounds of live ammunition, visa and other travel documents were seized from Devaiah’s house at HMT Layout in RT Nagar.

Devaiah was preparing to leave for Dubai for a six-day trip with three Maoist leaders, when the CCB sleuths intercepted them. They had booked air tickets for August 4.

The Maoist leaders were now in Andhra Pradesh police custody.
The arrested conspirators were close to Altaf, originally from Baseri Kattemane, in Dakshina Kannada’s Mangalore taluk. Shakeel, police said, routed funds to the arrested men through Altaf.
The ISI engaged Shakeel through his boss Dawood Ibrahim, a fugitive considered to be hiding in Pakistan.

The commissioner said Altaf wanted to hold meeting with Maoists in Dubai regarding possible subversive activities in India. He asked Devaiah and Vinay to identify Maoist leaders, with whom he could discuss terror activities.
Vinay introduced Devaiah to Altaf, who left the city after shutting down a bar he had owned on Residency Road in 2006.

Altaf’s proximity to a hawala syndicate operating from Dubai attracted him to that Emirate.  He soon became a conduit for funding Maoists. In July 2010, he became a full-fledged fund manager.

Altaf reportedly sent entry permits for four persons, Ram Kripal Pande, Shivakumar Kunta and Sridhar Pasham, all Maoist leaders from Andhra Pradesh, and Devaiah. He e-mailed them air tickets bought from Uranus Travel and Tours in Dubai. All four were planning to go to Dubai via Hyderabad, when the crime branch sleuths picked them up.

Bidari said arrangements had been made to issue a red corner notice against Altaf.

Altaf had routed Rs25 lakh through hawala, to meet the travel expenses of the Maoists, which was received by Vinay in Hyderabad. On July 13, he received Rs15 lakh, and an additional Rs10 lakh the next day. However, only Rs4 lakh reached the Maoists. Instead, Vinay purchased a  Hyundai Accent car (KA-02-P-3930), and left the remaining money with an accomplice for safe keeping. Police were trying to find Vinay’s aide.