Under scanner: ‘mole’ role in Rampur terror attack, mystery car drop-off

A mysterious drop-off from a vehicle shortly before the attack, a possible insider role and a misguided security alert...

A mysterious drop-off from a vehicle shortly before the attack, a possible insider role and a misguided security alert, are under the scanner after preliminary investigation conducted by the CRPF into the New Year’s Day terrorist strike in which seven of its security personnel were killed at its recruitment centre at Rampur in Uttar Pradesh.

The probe has not only raised several questions over the security set-up at the centre but also contradicts the official version. Consider these:

• A white Tata Sumo carrying a Bahujan Samaj Party flag is said to have dropped two persons outside the recruitment centre at around 1 am, about 90 minutes before the shoot-out began. The UP police security picket at the centre waved the Sumo through after seeing the party flag. The two passengers, it is suspected, were involved in “neutralizing” personnel posted at the CRPF picket and the guardroom. And in preparing the ground for the other two attackers.

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• The Intelligence Bureau alert on December 28, 2007, that the Home Ministry and the state government waved, referred to a possible attack on the CRPF recruitment centre in Rampur in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir — between Uri and Baramulla under the 19 Division of the Indian Army. Ironically, there is no CRPF recruitment centre there. But the CRPF had already strengthened security at Rampur centre in UP on the basis on a routine alert in November 2007.

• The possibility of an “insider role” is being looked into in the Rampur attack and already two CRPF personnel from Jammu and Kashmir are being interrogated. One of them, Javed, a constable was unscathed in the attack while his colleague was riddled with 16 bullets in the guard-room. DIG Rajeev Krishna of the Anti-Terrorist Squad, who visited Rampur after the incident, confirmed that Javed was questioned by his team members. “We are investigating the case from all possible angles, including that of a mole’s presence,” Krishna told The Indian Express. He said that his antecedents — including phone calls — were being checked. Declining to give any details, he said: “I only know that Javed was questioned.”

• The needle of suspicion has also veered towards another Assistant Commandant — hailing from Jammu and Kashmir — and he is under the scanner for allegedly compromising the security arrangement that night. Top CRPF officials have confirmed to The Indian Express that the “internal sabotage” angle is being looked into.

• The first two terrorists attacked the CRPF picket and killed two personnel in the guardroom with a grenade. The other two proceeded towards the administrative block that houses the DIG, Additional DIG and the control room and gunned down three others before escaping. It is believed that the rickshaw-puller was killed when the other two terrorists made an appearance. All four managed to escape after the CRPF personnel opened general retaliatory fire.

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While the UP government asked for SPG security cover for Chief Minister Mayawati, its investigators are still groping for leads in the Rampur case. Government sources have said that although the modus operandi of the attackers is similar to that of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, there are no specific clues regarding their identity yet.

(with inputs from Sanjay Singh, Lucknow).