World news – Shobhaa De | Something rotten … Why is Maha so confused?

The political gulf in Mumbai reads like a dry, hastily written script for a Bollywood C-class flop of the 1970s. It’s so embarrassingly gauche, one wonders if the main actors even realize how clumsily they have cut off their own feet (and some other vital parts of their anatomy!). The botch and subsequent cover-up attempts – in the unbelievable case of a car loaded with gelatin sticks parked near the most talked about personal residence in the world (« Antilia ») – must be one of two things – a publicity stunt after backfired, or an actual conspiracy to assassinate the best industrialist in India and one of the richest people on the planet. Which one is it?

Let’s just call it a stunt, commercial, or something else. Better still: a diversionary tactic. Too much is at stake when Uddhav Thackeray rides as CM of Maharashtra when there are enough rivals wanting him out. The alliance was weak from the start. As the saying goes, wherever there is Pawar there is a threat. Sharad Pawar is the only politician in India that no one has yet been able to take over. And so it is now in Mumbai. A high-profile, extravagant police superintendent (Parambir Singh) was kicked around like a football. But who is Ronaldo in this match? And who scored the well-timed penalty? Which team? Why? Since there are no referees in this particular game, it is free for everyone and it looks like Devendra Fadnavis is showing Thackeray the « yellow card », making it easy for the BJP to take the freed throne. In order to overcome this anything but pretty mess, Sharad Pawar will smoothly convey whatever deal comes his way: with one caveat, of course. His party will hold on to the Home Office and control the police – including the rogue cops. Whoever controls the Mumbai police, controls the city. To make it look a little believable, Anil Deshmukh (Interior Minister) can give the momentum! It will be interesting to see how this Imbroglio develops. So many dirty secrets, so many skeletons in VVIP closets! And the cops have all the ammo to silence anyone who crosses their path.

The brand new top cop has his own shady personal story. I was reminded of this by concerned citizens after I tweeted approvingly of the appointment. Hemant Nagrale was the surprising choice, replacing the daring Parambir Singh, who rode into town like a cowboy from a Bhelpuri western. All weapons blazed. Singh often referred to the trigger-happy, currently disgraced API Sachin Vaze as his handpicked protégé, who had « thoko-ed » over 60 villains! The encounter specialists (like Waze) are a dreaded crowd of those who have much to fear. They terrorize, intimidate and blackmail at will, are « criminals in uniform », as the legendary top cop Julio Ribeiro recently described them.

The new man (Nagrale) has openly admitted that the police are in a  » in a very difficult time ”and promised“ to regain the fame and pride of the Mumbai Police ”. And so it is. His professional qualifications are impressive – he has received the President’s Police Medal and other awards, and is an avid golfer, tennis player with a black judo belt. But … how can you overlook the grave allegations his wife officially documented (2008) that accuse him of physical and mental abuse? There is also a 2009 departmental investigation by the Bombay Supreme Court asking the ACB to investigate the disproportionate property case based on a complaint from his wife.

Meanwhile, a side policeman is curling up – the oldest State IPS officer – way too many feathers, names and very vocal about the injustices he has suffered. Sanjay Pandey has found many takers and supporters, and he will fall due after these revelations. His « lack »? He’s upright and has refused to play with politicians. It is good that he has chosen to go public with his complaints and embarrass the government. I wish there were more cops like these IIT Kanpur alumni who have not hesitated in the past to compete with Gopinath Munde.

Devendra Fadnavis has hinted that dark forces are at work behind the scenes. and he must know what he is talking about! The connection between cops and Netas is not only found in Maharashtra: except in Mumbai, this connection bites back when the situation becomes murky. The threat to blow up « Antilia » guarantees news on the front page, especially if it is « recognized » in time. If someone is really serious about committing such an insidious crime, no prior warning will be given! In addition, the car with the explosives was parked more than 300 meters away from « Antilia »: at best, it would have blown up the shops and part of the neighboring houses if it had been activated. The subject remains blurred. The modus operandi, embarrassingly amateurish. The biggest tragedy here is the death of Thane businessman Mansukh Hiran, whose scorpion was used by the mastermind behind the threat from « Antilia ». Hiran’s body was found dumped in a nullah and attempts were made to call it suicide. It wasn’t suicide. If his shocked and grieved wife hadn’t labeled Sachin Waze as her husband’s killer, even this cold-blooded murder would have been quickly buried by the police, aided by their political thinkers.

Fadnavis is on the move – he’s likely to increase the heat until he puts Uddhav in a corner. As he precisely said, Parambir Singh is « little fish ». Fadnavis wants Singh’s political patrons to be exposed. But hey … between Singh and his henchman (Waze) they know a hell of a lot. This is the time for them to pull out all of the ammunition and bring down a few people with deadly revelations. Waze will likely be singing soon … unless … don’t even let me go there. Too many people have « disappeared » and, as everyone knows, dead men don’t tell stories. Through all kinds of insinuations, Fadnavis behaves as if he were holding the ultimate trump card. Maybe it is him! More heads are expected to roll this week. And a few buried scandals could be dug into the trade as well. It is whispered that Rhea Chakraborty’s life is getting tougher. And the case of Sushant Singh Rajput could also be taken up again. When that happens, God knows what’s to come? Another masala « Mumbai Saga », this time with real bad guys, not with Bollywood actors.

The heat in Mumbai is killing at the moment. You can hear that those poor penguins in the zoo are really suffering, especially the babies. Ice cream baby!

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