The Crimson Conspiracy

by David Singh

  inevitable situation demanded to engage Malwanker's hunters to save

  his life.'

  'Yes Sir. He was completely surrounded by his certain death. If I

  didn't intervene I was going to witness a murder in cold blood by his

  own men. Earlier I resorted to just wound the adversaries but then

  situation turned too ugly to care..'

  'I understand, I understand. No issues on that. But the

  information you have had from Malwanker doesn't concern Elite 5.

  Who is right or wrong is not for us to decide. Operation Crimson

  Crackdown has just one objective: Capture Bhanu Majumdar alive,

  unharmed. Period. What state does with him is none of our concern.' Makker, Mohan and Sathapathy shook their heads in unison in

  agreement. Samarjeet too. Gangwar was not there. He couldn't be. He

  was busy with Rajeshwar Karma, rehearsing to play his double.

  Someone would update him later.

  'VB, I wonder,' Samarjeet said, 'why Nissar Malik was going to

  meet Majumdar?'

  'You mean to say, why not Rajanna?'

  'Yeah. An Al-Qaeda Commander should meet the fanatic

  revolutionary like Rajanna not the one with a profile of a defensively

  violent fighter like Majumdar.'

  'I think Nissar and ISI still don't know that Majumdar and

  Rajanna are now heading two different factions. If we

  trust…this…..Malwanker's evidence, I think they, like media, think

  that PWG and PGA are one.' Makker contributed.

  'Another reason could be that Majumdar still controls most of the

  area. Rajanna has recently been separated so he might not have that

  stronghold there.' Vir Bhadra Singh added.

  'Who knows, another Al-Quiada operative is on his way to meet

  Rajanna separately or may have already been meeting him and our

  RAW and we don't have a clue about him.' Sathapathy smirked. 'Pretty much possible.' Vir Bhadra Singh spoke in a concerned

  voice. 'Nissar is a known and contained threat. We don't know who

  else and how many more are there.' Then his tone turned businesslike.

  'But boys, this is a possibility that doesn't concern our mission

  directly. We better focus on the business at hand.'

  'And, on second thoughts, who knows Malwanker himself is a

  decoy who fed you the misinformation?' Sathapathy addressed

  Samarjeet. '…Or maybe he himself is misinformed?

  'Oye Satya, yeh tu beech beech mein bum kyun phod raha hai?

  (Hey Satya, why are you dropping bomb shells in the middle of the

  conversation like this?)' Mohan said.

  Everyone laughed.

  'Truth will not hold itself back for long.' Samarjeet said. 'But one

  thing is pretty clear. Like always and everywhere, this war is being

  played in Dandakaranya but players belong to the political corridors.' 'Samar, defence is the part of nation's politics. We are not

  mercenaries. We are supposed to neutralize any threat that plagues

  democracy and nation's peace. Naxal chief Majumdar is one such

  threat and we need to control it. And as far as Malwanker is concerned

  I agree that he is the part of a malfunctioning system but we cannot set

  everything right. We have our own mission to take care of.' Samarjeet shook his head in agreement.

  Vir Bhadra Singh turned towards Makker, 'chart a detailed plan

  and then you all get ready for the party.'

  'Plan is ready. We are ready to dance in the party.'

  'The party I am talking about doesn't need a plan to dance.' Vir

  Bhadra Singh smiled.

  For a moment he savoured the look of curiosity on his boys' faces

  then he spoke in the typical, Punjabi jolly good tone, 'arrey! Apney

  Gangu ne hum logon ko dhokha de diya! Ssaaley ki sagai hai parson.

  Janwari bees, dilli chalo.' (Ah! Our Gangu has deceived us. He's

  getting engaged day after tomorrow. January twentieth , move to

  Delhi.)

  They all cheered in unison. 'Gangwaar! Bloody scoundrel!!!' ?

  CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

  January 20, 2014

  Abujhmad, Dandakaranya, Chhattisgarh

  Breaking into Hashima mines site was necessary. Malwanker had

  complete trust in his instinct nudging him from within that he would come across some fresh piece of evidence to add to his arsenal. It was he who had shoved the idea to Raghav for bringing villagers together for Anti Mining Protest Group. Raghav had instantly welcomed it and agreed to his proposal to first talk to the villagers. This plan brought him around Hashima mines to carry out his mission unsuspected. His prime purpose was to have a look into the site, especially admin building.

  The mine area was roughly scattered in an irregular massive rectangle of one kilometer length and almost half a kilometer width. It was divided into four functional areas. The vast open mining ground which was increasing in area as the process of mining was progressing painfully slowly – thanks to Naxal threat. The other largest area included the work area homing huge vehicles, mining equipment, blasting explosives and several sheds arranged in several small and medium rows, third area was relatively very small that included temporary quarters for the labourers which came from the far off villages and could not manage daily trek from their homes. The fourth area was the main administrative block in the form of a huge three storey concrete building with modern architecture – housing the offices. It was separated from the rest of the three areas with steel wire fence to keep the unwanted staff - the labourers - off the building premises. On the forehead of the building hung the huge sign board, displaying the name of the company.

  Perimeter of entire mining area was crawling with several security personnel, armed with carbines. In these two days, Malwanker had done his recce. Total armed men in state police's uniform were exactly six dozens. That showed how state government was supporting the cause of development and progress by helping the mining of iron ore. In addition to this, company had its own private army of security personnel in light blue uniform, armed with automatic rifles. They were around fifty in number. Presence of around hundred such armed men was not the only security. Malwanker's binocular had not missed the row of surveillance cameras around the building. Entire perimeter was secured by nine meters standard iron wired fence with just three openings – one, smaller, for entry and egress of the labourers to and fro working area. Second, several meters wide pathway between work area and mining area for movement of heavy vehicles and mining equipment. Mining area was a vast open area with no fencing.

  Vehicles could leave and enter through three rough roads that shot from the flat ground adjacent to work area to converge into the main blacktop road that lead to the highway a good sixty kilometers ahead. Third opening was a huge steel gate in the front of the building manned by separate battery of half a dozen armed men all the time. The gate was machine operated and seldom opened to let only a few armoured vehicles move through.

  Whole damned place is secured like a fortress!

  But he already had his plan made – involving a lot of risk but that was the best he could think of. The basis of his plan was a small discovery he did while watching the daily routine of the labourers in past two days from his observing post at one of the lonely hilltops through his binoculars. Daily, twice, at 10:30 AM and at 4:45 PM, it was labourers' tea break and the tea was prepared in the building somewhere. Five labourers randomly were given the duty to fetch the tea to the working area from inside the building premises. For this purpose, a small gate in the fence between the building and working area was opened once, briefly, just for bringing the tea in kulhads (earthen utensils). The tea for around hundred labourers was brought in wheeled trays in two rounds. Once the trays were re
turned, the gate was shut immediately. This routine was not watched closely by any of the security personnel. Tea was the last activity of the day. After that, by 5 PM it was day off. This was the only way to slip into the building. Malwanker knew that he would have to go unarmed and chances are there to get caught. And that simply meant that he would be a dead man.

  ?

  'Let's get the tea now.' Malwanker said.

  'Let the siren go off, Kisna bro,' the fellow labourer replied, 'a few moments from now.'

  Getting inside to secure a job of a labourer on the quarry had not been difficult for Malwanker. There was always shortage and irregularity of laborers reporting at work. A strong tribal was what they always needed. He was recruited on the spot and could not suppress the smile while crossing the small gate to working area.

  The supervisor immediately put him to work the large hydraulic shovel to remove the glacial material at the terminal end of the mining site. It was a tough job and Malwanker did it with complete dedication while recording all the happenings around, taking in the details of the surrounding and getting the geography imprinted on the memory for some later use.

  He had easily made good friends with some labourers before the morning tea break and had fixed up with them to go bring the tea. During the morning trip for the tea, he had already looked inside and had his break in planned. The tea was prepared in a pantry inside. The pantry was a small room attached as an appendix to the main structure. The access to the room was a long roofless gallery topped with dense Bougainvillea shrub. That was a serious security lapse since the shrub blocked the view of the single overhead camera but presumably no one bothered since that small room didn't connected to any entrance into the building further. Between the gallery and the pantry, just adjacent to it was a small wash room equipped with a urinal and wash basin. Just above the urinal was a narrow ventilator that gave the glimpse of an empty backyard. Now was the time to execute that plan.

  The fellow labourer had hardly finished his sentence when the siren went off. They could go for tea break now. Malwanker and four fellow labourers, as in the morning, again went into the building to fetch the tea. Tea break got over in stipulated fifteen minutes and they went back inside to return the trays. 'You all go ahead; I just drain myself and come.' Malwanker said to the fellow labourers and entered the wash room.

  No one frowned. They all went along.

  Within five seconds Malwanker was struggling with his strong body out, through the narrow ventilator, into the backyard. ?

  Om Prakash was a seasoned security guard and had been deputed in Hashima mines site since day one. That was the only relaxing part of his entire day-long routine of tiring duty. Relaxing, because he could sit while keeping watch. This was really like a ritual for him now. Like an automaton, he dragged the chair near the broad glass window overlooking the working and mining area, brought his binocular up, over his eyes and set his focus on the small gate through which labourers were leaving, thumbing off into a register on the table top counter manned by a bored-to-the-bones guard.

  Om began his count. The number of labourers appointed for the day and leaving in the evening should tally unless there was a reported reason. The same count could have been taken by the guard at gates too but his supervisor had commanded for this additional cross check. The guard at the gate may make mistakes. He was sitting in a small cabin above the top floor. The cabin served as a watch-post for such work. After fifteen minutes, he finished his count, worried. One man was less. One labourer was still inside somewhere. He spoke in the radio, 'this is watch post. Come in, Rescue!'

  'Rescue here. What is it?'

  'One labourer is still inside somewhere. Check out.'

  The other side needed not to reply. Om knew that the Rescue team will immediately get their men move into mine area to check for any accidents. Another small team will sweep the work area. He pondered for a while and then spoke into the radio again, 'send Shakti here.'

  Shakti – a footman – entered the small cabin after a while.

  'Rear gate is closed?' he asked Shakti in the required authoritative tone, referring to the small gate that allowed access to five labourers for fetching the tea.

  'The labourers close it themselves while leaving. It has an auto lock latch.'

  'I asked, is it closed?'

  'It must be,' Shakti stammered, 'they must have gone by now.'

  'Go and check it and report to me in three minutes. Hurry up.'

  Shakti rushed out. Not three but in four minutes' time he would report back to Om, lying to him, that the door was closed, actually closing it himself, thus saving his hide.

  ?

  The backyard was empty, except for some old furniture stacked in one corner. The presence of air conditioners at the top floor told him where the offices were. He could not miss the four black cameras peeping menacingly down from the shade of the first floor but their angle told Malwanker that he would be off focus until he stepped into the main area of the backyard which was just a few steps ahead. He stood there still, thinking. He looked at the structure of the building again and noticed the drain pipe.

  Climbing up to the top floor using drain pipes, gripping the protuberances of the balconies and shades, shoving feet in an old crevice of a window-wall joint was the only way to remain out of the camera. Malwanker began his climb.

  In next five minutes he was stepping down from the huge window into a long corridor of the top floor. No cameras. He walked across the length of the corridor. On the right side was a row of four doors opening into four separate rooms and left side was a small open hall divided into work stations with plywood partitions. A few staff was working there, quietly. Malwanker ducked down to avoid being seen. He heard someone talking at the far end of the corridor in raised voice. He had no choice except to open the nearest door on his right. He tried the handle. The noise was approaching nearer. A group of four or five men, conversing argumentatively, were approaching. No lock. He opened a slit in the door and peeped inside. No one. He entered the room and closed the door behind him. It was a huge office with three walls and a huge plate glass window overlooking the mine area in place of the fourth wall. Near the window was a huge table with a leather chair beside the window, behind the table. Three visitor chairs were on the opposite side of the table. On the other end of the room was a long conference table with a dozen straight wooden chairs lined around it. The noise of discussion came closer and became distinct. They were coming in this very room. He looked around for some place to hide. The door began to open. Malwanker jumped over the conference table and lied down flat on his belly behind the row of the wooden chairs, holding his breath.

  'I understand Mr. Kiku that things are going slow but a little patience will pay you in high dividends.' The bespectacled thin man in shirt sleeves and plain trousers was saying.

  They were three men, a Japanese in a crisp navy blue pin striped corporate suite, an Indian young manager, MBA written on all over him and another man in ordinary shirt and trousers.

  The Japanese came round the table and sunk into the leather chair, chewing his words, in a clear, slow but heavily accented voice, 'mister Ram Dass….stop giving me this bullshit. You and your boss know very well that for past six months we have just been wasting our time in exploration drilling and reaching the taconite surface only. We have already cut down a huge chunk of green cover in the area. The crores of loss so far goes in your share too but we now need the things moving. Enough is enough.'

  Malwanker's ears strained up to let each word sink in. This was some stuff he had broken in here for.

  'See Mr. Kiku, it's not that we are not doing our efforts sincerely. You know this area pretty well now. Arranging for state's force and getting approval from the government to enter this area, you know, it'd been like moving mountains for me….'

  'Tell me something new.' Kiku's tone had not changed a bit. 'If you have done your efforts then it was not without my money spent beyond the estimated budget. You, Mr.
Ram Dass, have misguided me right from the beginning. You never told me the real extent of danger here. You had promised me quick clearance from the Environment Ministry. You said labourers here would be five times cheaper than anywhere else but now they argue and rally for right price. Threaten of union and shutdown. We are spending hefty amount on the security daily, which was not in the budget……'

  The verbal fusillade halted with the shrill ringing of the phone kept on the table top. The MBA guy pressed the hands free button and enquired, 'who is it?'

  'Sir, there is no accident. No man is found inside but one labourer is surely short in count.' Om Prakash spoke from the other side in Hindi.

  Irritated with the unwelcomed disturbance but keeping cool, MBA guy replied in Hindi, 'ask Shakti again. He is a habitual liar. Do a sweep inside if needed. Check the video.' He concluded the talk.

  Ramdas took the advantage of the disturbance, 'Kiku, Sir, I don't deny what you said. I promise you that all your losses will be met. What you can do is adjust all the loss that comes in our share in advance. I shall arrange the money for you and regarding clearance for mining, you begin with the mining and blasts, I'll handle any legal issues whatsoever. In a week's time you will have your clearance papers right here, on this table.'

  The man in late fifties – Kiku, regarded Ramdas's unwavering eyes incredulously for a while and blurted the ultimatum, 'not one week, I give you three, you know why?'

  'Why sir?'

  'Because,' the Japanese clearly meant what he said, 'that much time I need to wrap up everything, go back to Kyoto and ensure that your boss goes behind bars accompanying you.'

  Ramdas swallowed.

  The Japanese concluded the meeting, 'now I must begin with the meeting here without getting late for my flight at night unlike you miserably indisciplined Indians.'

  Having no other choice, except to bear the verbal racial salvo, Ramdas began to get up.

  Malwanker, in his position, managed to look around. Soon the room is going to be filled with people. He needed an escape exit. He noticed the heavy curtain in the corner beyond his legs. Then he noticed four such curtains, one in each corner. Curtains are generally over the windows. He slowly crept backwards, came on his knees keeping the rustling noise muffled and crawled behind the curtain. There was no window behind the curtain but a door. Malwanker heard the chairs pushed away. He heard the three men standing up. He tried the door's handle and finding it unlocked, turned it, made a narrow opening and slipped into the other room.