If the February 2019 Pulwama terrorist attack is a turning point in Indian politics is the way India’s intelligence agencies unravelled what happened a second such point?
An incredible, if not almost unbelievable, story is revealed in Rahul Pandita’s book The Lover Boy of Bahawalpur.
In a 30-minute interview with Karan Thapar for The Wire, Pandita confirms that two strokes of sheer good luck were responsible for India’s intelligence agencies identifying the terrorists, their network and how they operated.
The first element of luck was when Rakesh Balwal, the Head of the National Investigation Agency in Kashmir, accidentally stumbled upon the evidence that confirmed Adil Dar was the terrorist behind the Pulwama attack. It happened six days after the attack when he was wandering in the general area where the attack happened. His eye fell upon something shining in the slush around him. It turned out to be the key of the Eeco car the terrorists used and a piece of bone from the terrorist’s thumb which, on DNA testing, identified Adil Dar.
It was sheer good luck that in the six days since the attack, wind, rain, sleet and snow had not washed away the evidence. Had that happened identifying Adil Dar as the terrorist and the Eeco car would have been impossible.
The second stroke of luck happened eight months later when Rakesh Balwal visited the Nowgam police station in October 2019. He chanced upon a photograph of two terrorists who had been killed in a separate encounter in March and was curious to find one of them dressed in Adidas clothes. This, he said, is not how terrorists usually dress. This is clearly an important person.
On inquiry, it was found the terrorist’s phone was in police possession but they could not access its contents because it had been damaged. Because his curiosity has been aroused, Balwal found a way of accessing the contents only to discover the phone contained pictures of Adil Dar, including the video wherein he claimed responsibility for Pulwama.
The police believed the terrorist to whom the phone belonged was a certain Idris Bhai. But once its contents were accessed Idris Bhai turned out to be Umar Farooq, Masood Azhar’s nephew. Farooq had not destroyed the phone because it contained pictures of his many girlfriends. One of Farooq’s puritanical colleagues, also a member of Jaish, was so disillusioned to discover that Farooq, a married man with a family in Pakistan, was indulging in adultery in Kashmir that he revealed his real identity.
The book’s title The Lover Boy of Bahawalpur is an allusion to this chapter in Umar Farooq’s life.
Pandita told The Wire he has had extensive and detailed co-operation from multiple intelligence sources in putting this story together. He said: “I have relied upon officers of the NIA and JK police, who were directly involved in the investigation. At every stage, the events described in the book were corroborated at multiple levels with other agencies involved in counter-insurgency operations in and outside Kashmir. These include sources in the Indian Army, CRPF, BSF, Delhi Police’s Special Cell and RAW.”
Pandita also said he has personally heard several conversations contained in Umar Farooq’s phone including conversations between Umar Farooq and his uncle Rauf Asgar, Masood Azhar’s brother.
Pandita also said he has been shown several investigation records and transcripts of police questioning which have helped him piece the story together.
As a result, Pandita has an incredible story to tell which some may find hard to believe. Others may be sceptical of his sources and allege that he has been misled or spun yarn. But there will also be many who will accept Pandita’s detailed story. As Pandita himself puts it, “Fortune or good luck favours the brave.”
India’s intelligence agencies worked hard, he said, but there’s no doubt they were also assisted by incredible luck in cracking this case.
Watch the full interview here.