One of the factors that led to Maoist Politburo member Kobad Ghandy’s arrest was his carelessness in concealing his tracks while using the Internet, police sources reveal.
As an ideologue, and head of the Maoist’s publicity wing, Ghandy (63) drafted party strategy documents, sometimes
circulating them on the web.
Police sources said it was the seizure of a laptop the Maoist left behind during a police raid in Jharkhand that set them on Ghandy’s trail.
Ghandy had authored a document soon after the Lok Sabha elections called ‘Post-election situation: Our tasks’ that was found on this laptop.
Thereafter, cyber crime detectives tracked various IP addresses through which the document was circulated, which in turn led to people whose questioning led them to Ghandy.
The Maoists never use telephones or mobiles to communicate with one another, said intelligence source, knowing these can be tapped. But laptops, CDs and data cards have been seized from them.
Ironically Ghandy himself used to frequently advise cadres to be careful while using the Net, showing them how to cover their e-tracks.
Documents seized from the Maoists show they were thoroughly conversant with Net usage, and the dangers associated with it.
Letters from the party’s brass, now in police possession, says, “It can be assumed that all pro-Maoist blogs and email ids are under surveillance …”
Shares cell with ex-Punjab CM’s killer
Meanwhile, in Delhi Tihar Jail, Ghandy is sharing his cell with two Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorists — Gursewak Singh (who allegedly assassinated former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh) and Parvinder Singh.
Ghandy on Thursday told the jail officials that he was suffering from cancer in the urinary bladder and had some heart ailment. Thereafter, he was taken to GB Pant Hospital and was given medical attention.
Earlier this week when Delhi Police went to arrest Ghandy they did not even have a photograph to identify the top Naxal leader.
“We had no idea how he looked like. One of our informers pointed towards Ghandy when he came near MTNL office behind Bhikaji Cama Place. It was then that we arrested him,” said a senior police officer on condition of anonymity.