most wanted bank robber killed

The crime branch on Sunday night gunned down one of the most dreaded bank robbers in the recent past at Chembur। Ramesh Upadhyaya alias Dabbu, 35, who has about 40 cases (21 of them of bank robberies) registered against him at various police stations across Maharashtra and Karnataka, was killed in an encounter by the property cell of the crime branch near Diamond Garden in Chembur around on Monday.

Upadhyaya, who police say could easily be branded as the most successful bank robbers of all time, had a unique modus operandi। He always robbed banks where women were the majority staff, as they offered little resistance. He always struck in the mornings as soon as the banks opened and never robbed a bank after the 10th of a month.

Says an officer with the property cell, “He was a very shrewed guy who meticulously planned his robberies। He first properly surveyed his targeted. Smart as he was, he would enter a bank wearing good clothes and a tie. He would then find out about the security, staff strength and escape routes at the bank.”

“He would strike early morning as the bank staff would still be settling in and would be caught by surprise। He would also rob only between first and 10th of a month as banks have maximum cash during that time,” he added.

Upadhyaya also always stole a vehicle for the crime and then abandoned it, so that no one could trace him। “He once stole a Mercedes to commit a robbery,” said an officer with the property cell. “He was a fantastic driver and thus never took a chance with anyone else on the wheels. He would drive very fast and beat any chase,” said the officer.

On Sunday night, when he was gunned down, Upadhyaya had come to do a recce of Oriental Bank of Commerce in Chembur. “The officers of the property cell under senior inspector Arun Chavan received information that he was going to come there. They accordingly laid a trap and as soon as he arrived they asked him to surrender. He, however, fired at the police. In the retaliating fire by the police, Upadhyaya was killed,” said Crime Branch chief Rakesh मारिया

Son of a peon in Ghatkopar’s Jhunjhunwala College, Upadhyaya rose fast in his gang and on the crime ladder। Upadhyaya’s father, Shivshankar Upadhyaya, shifted to Mumbai with his family from Jaunpur district in UP in the early ‘80s.

The smartest and most intelligent of all his siblings, Upadhyaya quit studies after class IX and started selling handkerchiefs and scarfs on footpaths in Ghatkopar। It was during this time in 1994 that he came in touch with members of Katta Shekhar Gang and Ashok Jiwani, an infamous robber himself. “Jivani found Upadhyaya really smart and fit to be a member in his gang. He took him under his tutelage and intially used him only as a person who conducted reconnaissance of potential robbery targets. However, with his intelligent planning and meticulous execution of robberies, Upadhyaya soon grew through the ranks in the gang and even dwarfed Jivani so much so that the gang was now called Dabbu gang. He became the brain behind the gang while Jivani lied low,” said the officer.

Upadhyaya was first arrested by Pantnagar police in connection with a bank robbery in 1994। He was soon released on bail and this time started his operations on large scale spreading across Maharshtra and even Mangalore and Bangalore.

In 2006, while robbing Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative bank in Airoli, a brave sub-inspector named Babasaheb Adhav tried to stop him but was shot dead by Upadhyaya. His gang also killed a constable before running away with lakhs of rupees. In 2008 the gang committed three bank robberies in Pune. Police estimate Upadhyaya has committed robberies worth several crores of rupees. His brother, Avdhesh had earlier been killed in a similar encounter by the crime branch.

Members had warned RWITC

After fire gutted the third floor of the members stand at the Mahalaxmi race course on Thursday night, some members of the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) that manages the race course have said that they had warned the fire brigade and the club itself that the building lacked fire-fighting systems।

The members' stand, a hundred-year old colonial structure made of stone, concrete and wood was built as an open stadium for watching the races। However, when sections of the three floors were proposed to be converted into cafeterias and air-conditioned lounges, some worried members had written to the fire brigade to find out whether the floors had fire-fighting systems, including fire alarms, in place.

Some RWITC members have now claimed that fire and smoke alarms have still not been installed and that if fire protection installation had been in place, the damage to the building would not have been as extensive as it was।

Between January and April 2002, a member had written several letters to the chief officer of the Mumbai fire brigade warning the air-conditioned lounges and the cafeterias could be fire hazards। Members had even said that the lounges could hinder movement of spectators in case of an emergency. The fire brigade had conducted an inspection of the premises after the warnings.

Earlier in November 2001, another member, major (retd) S K Lamba who was allotted space on the third floor to construct a lounge and cafeteria wrote to the fire brigade asking whether fire experts had cleared the proposal to construct the lounges as the structure was classified as a 'special building' under the city's development control rules as it was meant to be only a stadium। "If fire-fighting equipment had been installed in the building, the damage due to the fire would not have been so great," said Lamba.

Though no lounges were built on the third floor subsequently, liquor baron Vijay Mallya and industrialist Cyrus Poonawala have lounges on the first two floors। Each floor of the stand, including the lounge can seat around 300 people.

Confirming the lapses on the part of the committee even though there were concerns shown by the members, Vivek Jain, a RWITC's committee member said: "Since it is a heritage structure, we did not put in place a fire fighting system, but now after restoring the structure, we will ensure that this is not repeated। We were fortunate that the fire did not spread to other floors and in the stable area."

Though the cause of Thursday's fire is still not known, eye witnesses who had visited the building on the day the fire took place said that water-proofing work was going on in the building। The material used for the water-proofing work was bitumen, a highly inflammable material. "The bitumen was lying on the third floor and was being heated on gas stoves," said a RWITC member who had visited the building on Thursday.

Anil Sawant, chief fire officer said, "At this stage, it is difficult to predict the reasons for the fire। We are in the process of recording statements of club members and employees. We will gather proof from the scene of the accident to investigate the reasons. If we find anything suspicious, we will carry out a few forensic tests. The primary reason should be known within the next two or three days."

The race season is expected to begin in November and since the monsoon has set in, it is doubtful whether the member's stand would be restored by then.

5 reasons to hold off on the iPhone 3G

Yes, I'm one of those guys who wait in line the day a shiny new gadget goes on sale, and the iPhone 3G is one of the shiniest gadgets of all। But while I'll be out there waiting in the wee hours of July 11 (it's my job, after all), the rest of you should think twice before losing sleep on launch day. Here's why.

1. Shortages are unlikely

Remember last year, when we all got in line early for the iPhone because we were afraid it would sell out? Well, that didn't quite happen। Yes, individual AT&T stores sold out quickly, but many Apple stores had plenty of iPhones in stock in the days and weeks after the big day. (Indeed, there weren’t any serious iPhone 1.0 shortages until just recently.) Also, word of hundreds of massive overseas shipments bound for Apple (which began arriving as early as March) leads me to believe that there's a healthy supply of iPhone 3Gs on hand. So if you're worrying about a Wii-like shortage of the iPhone 3G, well ... I wouldn't.

2. Chaos on Day One

Unlike last year, customers won't be able to activate their new iPhones over iTunes—instead, clerks will have to activate them in the store, contracts will have to be signed on the spot, and new AT&T subscribers will have to undergo credit checks। It could take a good 10-15 minutes per customer—and that's if things go smoothly. It'll be a new process for everyone—especially for Apple Store employees, who aren't accustomed to processing cell phone contracts—so I'm anticipating (dreading, actually) a train wreck next Friday. Even if you're dying to lay hands on the iPhone 3G, you might want to wait a week or so until they get the kinks worked out.

3. 32GB iPhone 3G on the horizon

I was keenly disappointed when Steve Jobs didn't unveil a 32GB iPhone last month—indeed, all we got were 8GB and 16GB versions, and I'd personally like an iPhone that I could cram with as much music and video as I can stand। Here's the thing, though—a 32GB iPhone 3G is probably coming within the next six months, if not sooner (well, that's my guess). If I wasn't buying the 16GB iPhone 3G for Yahoo! Tech, I'd probably sit tight and wait for the 32GB version to arrive.

4. Best new iPhone features are coming to the original iphone

Yes, the iPhone 3G will be getting GPS and, of course, 3G—but for now, you can't download music tracks over AT&T's 3G network or access AT&T's streaming video service। For me, the most exciting thing about the new iPhone is the upcoming App Store, which will be stocked with scores of 3D games, chat clients, productivity apps, RSS readers, you name it—and the App Store will be available July 11 as a free upgrade to the old iPhone. That'll keep you busy till the 32GB iPhone comes out.

5. The HTC Touch Diamond

I've seen the future of cell phones, folks, and it's called the HTC Touch Diamond. With its gorgeous VGA screen, beautiful touch-screen interface, and compact, light-weight shell, the Diamond is the first phone to make me green-eyed with envy since … well, since the original iPhone. The Diamond is set to arrive in the U.S. in September, and spy shots of a Sprint-branded Touch Diamond are already circulating on the Web. You might want to give the Diamond a serious look before committing to a new two-year iPhone contract.

Left to pull out, to meet Prez tomorrow

July 08, 2008 12:52 IST

The Left parties on Tuesday announced their decision to withdraw parliamentary support to the United Progressive Alliance government, and said they will meet President Pratibha Patil [Images] on Wednesday morning to hand over a letter to this effect।

PM to meet NSG members todayAddressing a press conference on Tuesday afternoon soon after a meeting to decide on the modalities of withdrawal of support, Community Party of India-Marxist general secretary Prakash Karat said with the prime minister announcing his decision to approach the International Atomic Energy Agency over the nuclear deal, no useful purpose will be served by continuing to support the government।

What the IAEA agreement gives india

There was also point in going ahead with the coordination committee meeting on July 10 as sought by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee since the government has gone against the decision of previous such meetings, Karat said।

He added that the Left will be releasing documents to show that the government has lied to the people of India over the nuclear deal।

'It is sad the N-deal is smeared in murky politics'

The Left parties have sought an appointment with the President for Wednesday, Karat announced।

A formal letter about the Left's decision to withdraw support has also been sent to Mukherjee, he added.

10 killed in blast at Pak's Lal Masjid

Islamabad:
Nine policemen and a civilian were killed and 25 persons were injured in a massive explosion near the controversial Lal Masjid, minutes after thousands of Islamic hardliners demanded the public hanging of President Pervez Musharraf at a meeting to mark the shrine's storming by the Pakistani military।

The powerful blast, which was heard from several kilometres away, occurred as a large crowd of slogan-shouting and flag-waving people, including madrassa students and outlawed extremist groups like the Sipah-e-Sahaba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, began dispersing at about 7।50 pm.

Witnesses said the explosion occurred in the vicinity of a petrol station near Melody Market, which is adjacent to the Lal Masjid and created panic among the people who ran back towards the mosque।

Body parts and pools of blood lay strewn all over the area, which was cordoned off by the police।

A high alert was declared in Islamabad while an emergency was declared in all hospitals in the capital।

The blast targeted the site where a large number of policemen had gathered as part of the security arrangements for the meeting where several clerics made hard hitting speeches criticising the arrest of former Lal Masjid cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz as well as the government's plans for reforming madrassas.

Sensex up 260 pts in early trade

The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex rose by 260 points in early trade on Monday on sustained buying by funds in heavy-weight stocks।

The 30-share index, which had gained nearly 360 points in the previous session, shot up by 259।80 points, or 1.93 per cent to 13,713.80.

The wide-based National Stock Exchange index's Nifty regained the 4,100 points mark by gaining 85।55 points to 4,001.55.

Marketmen said easing of tension on the political front and firming trends at other Asian stock markets mainly enthused the trading sentiments here।

Major gainers, which supported the Sensex were Reliance Industries, Larsen and Toubro, BHEL, State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Grasim Industries, HDFC Bank, HDFC Ltd, Infosys Technologies, TCS, Wipro, ONGC, Reliance Infra, DLF Ltd and ACC.

Indian Embassy attacked in Kabul, 4 Indians among 41 killed

Kabul, July 7: A suicide car bomber rammed two diplomatic vehicles entering the Indian Embassy in Kabul on Monday, killing 41 people and wounding 141, Afghan authorities said।

Five Indians, including a Brigadier-rank defence attache and an IFS officer, were killed in the suicide attack।

India is rushing a high-level team, headed by Nalin Surie, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs, to Kabul to assess the "emergency" situation there।

Defence Attache Brigadier R D Mehta and Counsellor Venkateswara Rao were killed when the suicide bomber targeted the Embassy early Monday morning, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters in New Delhi।

The two other two Indians killed in the attack were identified as ITBP personnel Ajai Rathore and Roop Singh।

A fifth employee of the Indian Embassy Niamutullah, killed in the blast, was a local Afghan।

The Taliban have vowed to step up their campaign of suicide bombings this year, graphically demonstrating that despite the increase in foreign troops in Afghanistan and more trained Afghan forces on patrol, the militants are far from defeated।

"I saw wounded and dead people everywhere on the road," said Danish Karokhil, the head of the independent Pajhwok news agency, whose offices are close by।

"The target was the diplomatic vehicles। They were trying to get inside the embassy when the suicide car bomber attacked them," he said.

Health Ministry spokesman Abdullah Fahim said 28 people were killed and 141 wounded, but a senior police official later revised this to 41 dead।

"More than 10 people are in a very critical condition। At least one woman and one baby were killed. At least three babies were wounded and women, children, military personnel and civilians are among the casualties," Fahim said.

The two embassy vehicles were destroyed by the blast, but it was not clear if those inside were among the casualties। India has close relations with the Afghan government and is funding and building a number of large infrastructure projects, but had no diplomatic ties to the Taliban when they ruled the country.

The gates of the embassy were blown off and the walls and buildings inside the compound were also damaged by the force of the blast, said an Indian diplomat who declined to be named।

"We fear that there may be casualties among our personnel and are ascertaining full details," the Indian Foreign Ministry said in a statement।

"The government of India strongly condemns this cowardly terrorist attack on its diplomatic mission in Afghanistan। Such acts of terror will not deter us from fulfilling our commitments to the government and people of Afghanistan," India said.

Security guards, a line of people waiting for visas and those shopping at a nearby market were likely the main victims।

Two women were among five dead at Kabul's Emergency Hospital। One of the dead women had a baby with her at the time of the blast, the woman's sister said. The baby was now missing.

Grey smoke and dust poured from the scene of the blast। Police cordoned off the area as ambulance crews raced the wounded to hospital. Several US soldiers were also at the scene.

US troops later shot dead the driver of another car and wounded a passenger, witnesses said। US military vehicles were driving through the city at high speed after the bombing, soldiers shouting angrily at drivers to get out the way.

Afghan officials have repeatedly accused Pakistan of allowing the Islamist Taliban to operate from sanctuaries inside Pakistan, a charge Pakistan denies.