Author: Manoj Mitta
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: October 12, 2001
Introduction: After kidnapping three
Britishers, Omar Sheikh and his team then zero in on an American. This
hunt forms the third part of the extracts from Sheikh's own account of
the 1994 abortive mission to secure the release of Maulana Masood Azhar,
now chief of the Jaish-e-Mohammad
I manage two more hostages
That night we arranged to meet the
next evening at Hare Krishna. Next morning I told Shah saab at the Markaz
that I had two Britishers on the pipeline, did he want them? He answered
affirmatively and we arranged to meet next morning when I would hopefully
have made the arrangements.
That evening I went to Hare Krishna
restaurant, met the two guys and casually mentioned I was going down to
my village the next day, would they be interested in accompanying me? They
agreed and I arranged to meet them the next morning in the hotel they were
staying at (the name of which I can't remember). So next morning, at the
Markaz I told Shah saab and he had the van arranged in a couple of hours.
We met at the petrol pump behind
the Markaz and set off. The van parked outside Delhi Railway Station and
I went inside to fetch the two guys, guitars and all. So we set off to
Saharanpur, the two, the driver and myself and it was almost exactly like
the first time (with Rhys) except that I didn't talk about revolutions
on the way - we discussed more complicated issues like women.
At Saharanpur, the door was opened
by Siddique. He saw that I was accompanied by two guests and so he immediately
called the others to attention telling them the Maharaja was here. There
was Sultan, Salahuddin and Maulana saab. The same drama as before happened
except that this time there was an AK-47 in the picture - brandished by
Sultan. I don't know how it got there. The two were shocked to see Rhys,
who we'd talked about on the way. Rhys was rather pleased that he was no
longer alone.
The last try for an american
Next day, after taking their passport
details and reassuring them as best as I could, I returned to Delhi. I
met Shah saab that evening at the Markaz and informed him of what had happened.
He said that I should make one last thrust for an American. He told me
that he'd arranged a house in Ghaziabad (near Delhi) and so it should be
easier for me. I told him I'd go the next morning to Vasant Kunj and check
out Michael. Our meeting was fixed for the following afternoon.
Next morning, 18th October, I popped
down to Vasant Kunj and this time managed to go inside the apartment and
met Michael. He was a mousish sort of chap and I perceived that it would
be virtually impossible to convince him to go anywhere.
So, when I met Shah saab I requested
him that we could only do a grab-job on Michael. He said that I would first
have to do a complete reconnaisance, which included observing the Vasant
Kunj area at different times. We decided Amin would meet me that evening
and take me to the Vasant Kunj area on the motorbike.
After the meeting, I went down to
the Paharganj area. My mind was fixed on the Michael-task so I didn't try
terribly hard to browse round the foreigners there. I just sat at a cafe
opposite the Ankur Guest House and ordered a drink. The person in front
of me started talking to me and with a shock I realised he was American.
This was Bela Nuss. He was staying
at Ajay Guest House and was about to leave India. He was a lonely sort
of fellow who found in me someone he could talk to. I told him I was staying
at Galaxy Guest House and after the conversation in which we agreed to
meet later, I went and booked a room at Galaxy under the name of Rohit
Sharma from Bombay.
In the evening, I met Amin at the
Markaz and he had with him the motorbike. We went to Vasant Kunj and I
noted down what was going on and also the nearest police staton. I decided
that morning was a better time for the job. I returned to Paharganj to
find that Bela had left a message for me saying that we should meet the
next day in the afternoon.
Next morning, I made my way to the
Markaz and told Shah saab that we could postpone the Michael programme
since I had another in prospect. In the afternoon, I met Bela and we went
and had dinner at some pizza place in Connaught Place. I told him I was
having dinner at an Indian family's house the next day and asked him whether
he'd like to come along. He was delighted.
Next day I met Shah saab at the
Markaz. He took me for the first time to the room in Nizamuddin behind
the tomb. Farooq and Amin were present. Amin was sent to get dinner. I
let Shah saab know that the chap was set up for that evening. Shah saab
then sent Farooz to buy a burqa. He told me that I had to put it on the
American since there would a check-post on the way to the house in Ghaziabad.
I slept for a few hours while Shah
saab and Farooq went and made arrangements. They were going to lock me
inside but I promised I wouldn't leave the house. When Shah saab returned,
he said the driver would be there in a couple of hours.
He had decided that he and Siddique
would be involved as well - they would thumb a lift on the way.
