Wherever terror blasts, Govandi is always on police radar

By Abdul Hameed, TwoCircles.net,

Mumbai: It doesn’t matter whether a terror blast takes place in Mumbai or Malegaon or any other place intelligence and investigating agencies try to find out the culprits in Govandi, a Muslim-dominated suburb of eastern Mumbai, and many times they are ‘successful.’

Though bomb explodes miles away from Govandi Muslim residents of the area usually have to bear its burnt. Any terror blast validates the police and intelligence agencies to keep a vigil on the area and consequently pick some youths as accused.

Govandi, the densely populated Muslim area, cries for basic civic amenities – proper water supply, electricity and cleanliness – is considered by the police as a hub of criminals.

According to the media reports the ATS had arrested Muhammad Ali Shaikh and Dr Salman Farsi in connection with the Malegaon blast. For Mumbai local train bombings also, some people were arrested from the area. The Mumbai police crime branch had reportedly arrested Afzal Usman, the alleged founder of Indian Mujahideen, in connection with the Ahmadabad blasts. Afzal Usman resides in Shivaji Nagar, Govandi.

The latest: in connection with the 26/11 attacks the police and intelligence agencies are reportedly having close eye on Govandi. They are conducting combing operations for some criminals of 26/11, who may be hiding in Govandi.

However, the locals say that all those who have been arrested so far have clean records and are innocents. Manzoor Ahmad, a resident of Baigan Wadi, has accused the police of continuously harassing him saying that he belongs to SIMI. But he said that he had nothing to do with the organization. He is now doing the business of printing pamphlets and marriage cards etc.