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Purulia arms drop case: Difference between revisions
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The '''Purulia arms drop case''' is the legal case regarding an incident on 17 December 1995 in which unauthorised arms were dropped from an [[Antonov An-26]] aircraft in | {{Infobox Proponents | ||
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The '''Purulia arms drop case''' is the legal case regarding an incident on 17 December 1995 in which unauthorised arms were dropped from an [[Antonov An-26]] aircraft in Purulia district in the state of West Bengal in India. The chief accused "Kim Davy" (real name [[Niels Holck]], alias Niels Christian Nielsen) claims that it was a conspiracy of the Congress [[Government of India|Indian government]] together with [[Research and Analysis Wing|RAW]] and [[MI5]] to overthrow the communist government in [[West Bengal]] and he was given assurances from the central government about his safety and return to Denmark. He further alleges that MP [[Pappu Yadav]], who is in touch with the Prime Minister of India facilitated his safe exit from India.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-04-29/kolkata/29486692_1_arms-drop-kim-davy-purulia | work=The Times Of India | title=Delhi okayed Purulia arms drop: Davy | date=29 April 2011}}</ref> | |||
== Background == | == Background == | ||
A | A Latvian aircraft dropped a large consignment of arms including several hundred AK-47 rifles and more than a million rounds of ammunition over a large area in Jhalda, Ghatanga, Belamu, Maramu villages of Purulia district on the night of 17 December 1995.{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}} Several days later, when the plane re-entered Indian airspace, it was intercepted by the Indian Air Force MiG-21 and forced to land. | ||
== Motive and recipient == | == Motive and recipient == | ||
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== Arrest and sentencing == | == Arrest and sentencing == | ||
The crew of the aircraft consisted of five Latvian citizens and Peter Bleach, a | The crew of the aircraft consisted of five Latvian citizens and Peter Bleach, a United Kingdom|British citizen and an ex Special Air Service operative turned mercenary who was based in Yorkshire and involved in arms dealing.{{Citation needed|date=October 2008}} (However, Annie Machon, the former MI5 officer, accuses Bleach of being an MI6 agent in her book "Spies, Lies and Whistleblowers". In numerous interviews, Bleach has always evaded questions on this subject and has declined to answer questions on his military background.) They were arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment while alleged crime boss|kingpin Niels Holck|Niels Christian Nielsen (aka Kim Peter Davy), a Denmark|Danish citizen and member of the Ananda Marga group,<ref>[http://www.nisat.org/publications/armsfixers/Chapter2.html The Day it Rained Arms in India], Chapter 2 of [http://www.nisat.org/publications/armsfixers/ The Arms Fixers: Controlling the Brokers and Shipping Agents]</ref> escaped. Later, an Interpol red notice was issued against him. Following the intervention of Russian authorities, the Latvian crew (who gained Russian citizenship while in Indian custody) were later pardoned and released in 2000. An appeal has been submitted by the pilots lawyer before the Calcutta High Court in March 2000 challenging the trial results and the judgement but it is still pending. Peter Bleach, too, was released on 4 February 2004, via a President of India|presidential pardon, allegedly due to persistent British Government pressure. In 2007 Kim Davy was traced by Denmark authorities and on April 9, 2010 Danish government decided to extradite Kim Davy to India but Danish authorities failed to successfully defend their decision in the Danish high court. The court, therefore, refused extradition of Kim Davy to India. Further, Danish authorities decided not to appeal the high court judgement to the Supreme Court.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-07-08/india/29751081_1_kim-davy-danish-authorities-danish-court | work=The Times Of India | title=Danish court decision on Kim Davy can encourage terrorists: India | date=8 July 2011}}</ref> | ||
Peter Bleach was not an SAS operative. He was a Lance Corporal in the Intelligence Corps initially serving at 7 Armoured Bde in Germany, then in N Ireland. These were desk bound activities. (From personal conversations with him over 16 years ago. | Peter Bleach was not an SAS operative. He was a Lance Corporal in the Intelligence Corps initially serving at 7 Armoured Bde in Germany, then in N Ireland. These were desk bound activities. (From personal conversations with him over 16 years ago. | ||
== Recent development == | == Recent development == | ||
On 8 October 2008 the extradition of the key accused, | On 8 October 2008 the extradition of the key accused, Kim Davy, real name Niels Holck, was close to being finalized as the government had, in principle, agreed on giving "sovereign assurance" to the Danish authorities on their conditions, as well as bringing about some changes in the existing extradition law. One of the conditions Denmark had set included the waiving of the death penalty if Davy is convicted by a court for his involvement in the dropping of a huge cache of arms and ammunition from an aircraft in West Bengal in 1995.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Purulia_arms_case_Govt_agrees_to_waive_death_penalty/rssarticleshow/3571584.cms|title=Purulia arms case: Govt agrees to waive death penalty|last=Mohan|first=Vishwa|coauthors=Subodh Ghildiyal|date=8 October 2008|work=Indiatimes|accessdate=8 March 2011|location=New Delhi}}</ref> | ||
On 28 April 2011 Kim Davy came forward and alleged that both the Indian government (congress party) as well as its intelligence agency R&AW were aware of the precise details of the arms drop well in advance, and that the whole operation was conducted with the implicit agreement of the Indian authorities. Both Peter Bleach and Kim Davy claimed that the aim of the arms drop was to help anti Left government dissidents and to create a pretext to impose President's Rule in West Bengal.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-05-31/india/28304324_1_kim-davy-alias-arms-drop-denmark-government|title=India knew about Purulia arms drop: Accused|date=31 May 2010|work=Indiatimes|accessdate=28 April 2011|location=New Delhi}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-04-28/india/29482022_1_kim-davy-purulia-arms-drop-purulia-district|title=Purulia Exposé: India's best kept secret|date=28 Apr 2011|work=Indiatimes|accessdate=28 April 2011|location=New Delhi}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Purulia-arms-drop-was-RAW-op-to-destabilise-Left-govt--say-accused/783288/}}</ref> | On 28 April 2011 Kim Davy came forward and alleged that both the Indian government (congress party) as well as its intelligence agency R&AW were aware of the precise details of the arms drop well in advance, and that the whole operation was conducted with the implicit agreement of the Indian authorities. Both Peter Bleach and Kim Davy claimed that the aim of the arms drop was to help anti Left government dissidents and to create a pretext to impose President's Rule in West Bengal.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-05-31/india/28304324_1_kim-davy-alias-arms-drop-denmark-government|title=India knew about Purulia arms drop: Accused|date=31 May 2010|work=Indiatimes|accessdate=28 April 2011|location=New Delhi}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-04-28/india/29482022_1_kim-davy-purulia-arms-drop-purulia-district|title=Purulia Exposé: India's best kept secret|date=28 Apr 2011|work=Indiatimes|accessdate=28 April 2011|location=New Delhi}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Purulia-arms-drop-was-RAW-op-to-destabilise-Left-govt--say-accused/783288/}}</ref> | ||