"Terrorists were arrested in Nepal and brought to India"
By Syed Nazakat
From 1980 onwards, Nepal was the battleground of a spy war between India and Pakistan, and Maloy Krishna Dhar was in the thick of it. Dhar served in the Intelligence Bureau for around three decades and played an intense cat-and-mouse game with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence. His theatres ranged from Punjab to Kashmir to Pakistan, Canada and Nepal. In 1986, he went to Nepal in pursuit of Sikh militants and nabbed them from a Kathmandu hotel. He says he is indebted to some of his colleagues in the intelligence fraternity for enlightening him from time to time with the latest incursions made by ISI into newer operations areas inside India.
Excerpts from an interview:
When did you come to know about the ISI's activities in Nepal?
After it came to my notice that the ISI was running a huge operation in Kathmandu, we identified key operatives and bases. Three hotels were identified—Karnail, Himali and one in Maharajgunj area. The ISI had hired rooms to train Sikh militants, who were also taken to Karachi and Lahore for training, and were sent back to India via Kathmandu. We identified the chain of operation and neutralised Sikh gangs operating in India. We found that the ISI had recruited two boys from Aligarh Muslim University, and had given them arms training in Nepal. On their return, they dumped weapons in Aligarh city. We managed to plant two Aligarh boys in the terror network in Nepal. With their help, we busted a terrorist hideout in Aligarh and recovered 24 AK-47s. The Lashkar-e-Toiba, Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami, Jaish-e-Mohammed and other outfits recruited many Indian Muslims. After the Babri Masjid demolition, communal sentiments were high; between 1992 and 2004, hundreds of boys went to Nepal. Then a cycle of bomb blasts and terrorists attacks took place across India.
After the IC-814 hijacking, was there a shift in the IB's Nepal operations?
We had more focus, because of the Maoist interference in Nepal politics and China's penetration there. On Pakistan, we had a lot of success. Pakistan may not be sending people now [via Nepal], but Pakistan embassies in Nepal and Bangladesh remain our focal points.
What kind of operations did you do in Nepal?
We arrested many militants in Nepal and brought them to India. We neutralised some and the Research and Analysis Wing neutralised some. I had my own safe house in Nepal and my undercover officer used to stay there.
How did you bring suspected terrorist to India?
We had an understanding with Nepal. We shared information with them and got them on board. When they were convinced that the guys were terrorists, they allowed us to bring them to India. We arrested LeT, Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh and HuJI terrorists in Nepal.
In Nepal, what has been the IB's arrangement with RAW?
It is an informal arrangement. RAW would not know what we were doing and vice-versa. Information may be exchanged at the highest level. At the operative level, there is hardly any exchange.
What is the average strength of RAW and the IB in Nepal?
In every country there is a RAW station. The strength depends upon our initiative.
Did RAW also pick suspected terrorists in Nepal?
Yes, they did. But I do not know the number of terrorists they picked.
So RAW and the IB nabbed suspected terrorists in Nepal and brought them to India. How did you prepare the travel documents?
You can make fake papers. Once you prepare the FIR and daily investigation report 'correctly', nobody can catch you. Actually the mechanism of intelligence agencies working together is very thickly involved. Our mission is not to reveal the sources of intelligence.
So you faked the documents?
There is no question of faking. It is about protecting the source of information. If you speak out, your source will be exposed.
Do you have similar arrangements with other countries?
No, it has been a special case with Nepal.
What information did the terrorists arrested from Nepal give?
Vital information like who supplies weapons and money. They were ordinary boys, but brainwashed. The arrests led to arrests in India and foiled terror strikes.
Today, what is India's main concern in Nepal?
Nepal is are not a threat to us. Our problem is with those who work [in Nepal] on behalf of the ISI and China. However, the degree of threat is not high now.
(THE WEEK, 7 Dec 2009)
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