Sunday Snippets
By Venkatesh Raghavan
It was years ago when I switched from being a freelance contributor and columnist to a full-fledged reporter for the Free Press Journal. I had the privilege of working along with senior and veteran photographer Thomas Rocha. He was very well connected with the locals in the Vasai-Virar belt including the dons who controlled the belt, namely Bhai Thakur and Hitendra Thakur.
Rocha narrated to me how Hitendra Thakur sought an audience with him to obtain some positive coverage in the press. Rocha recalled that he had told the don, you do something good or positive in the interests of the people and I will definitely be happy to give you footage in our newspaper. Recalling his meetings with Hitendra Thakur on different occasions, Rocha informed that they shared a good personal rapport.
Little did I know that Rocha’s familiarity with Hitendra Thakur is going to result in my first encounter with an underworld don that controlled the crime cartels in and around Bombay. He had also narrated how Hitendra Thakur and his henchmen took assistance from the fishing community along the Vasai-Virar coast to facilitate the landing of contraband goods including bullion metals like gold and silver. The narrative extended to Thakur being in possession of a motorboat that was deployed for his perusal at short notice.
Also read: Sunday Snippets: When the gangster extended the cordiality to me
That was the time when don Hitendra Thakur, who was also a local MLA being a part of the Congress Party had absconded after the court had issued summons under the draconian Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA). Thakur was at large for a fairly prolonged stretch of time. Suddenly news arrived that Hitendra Thakur had decided to surrender to the police at the Directorate General (DG) office opposite Regal Talkies in South Bombay.
I stepped out of the office along with Rocha heading towards the DG office that happened to be a 15-20 minute walk from our Free Press office at Nariman Point. After reaching the spot, I headed to the first floor and was face to face with the don outside the DGP’s office. I along with other reporters queried what compelled him to surrender. He stonewalled all our queries stating, “I have come here to fulfil the requirement of the court order. According to the requirements of the court, I have voluntarily surrendered to the police.”
Taking a logical cue, my next question was, “Where were you all these days?” Again there was no concrete response and it was like he had already been briefed by his lawyer on what is to be said in the public domain. My mind was racing quickly and Thakur at that point in time made it clear that he was talking to the press on the insistence of Rocha, his good friend. I then tried a different route. My question was directed at the motorboats that operated on the Vasai belt. He was visibly taken by surprise by my forthright questioning. After gaining control over the response he told me, “I am not in possession of any motorboat.”
I along with the other reporter present there asked a few more questions before it was time for Thakur to officially turn himself into police custody. Reaching the Free Press office, I complimented our photographer Thomas Rocha on his personal equation with the dons of Vasai and Virar. The Free Press Journal came out with a front-page story on the surrender of TADA accused Congress MLA Hitendra Thakur the next morning.
