In the wee hours of December 18 1995 a mysterious weapon consignment was dropped from the sky over Joupur Jhalda area under Purulia district of West Bengal. The consignment was discovered the next morning. Until now nobody knew what really happened. Today Kim Davy the seventh man and the leader of the operation reveals everything to TIMES NOW.
My first question to you Niels Christian Nielsen, alias Kim Davy, Why are you choosing to speak out now?
Davy: I am under the danger of being extradited to India as a terrorist, I don't feel I am a terrorist; I have not done anything to harm anyone. On the contrary I have done things to protect people from Communist terror, state sponsored terror and I kept my silence in all those years, 15 years. But now political forces in India are coming out to reach me again as they did 15 years ago and I feel its time to set the record straight.
I will call you Kim Davy because you are known as Kim Davy across the country. Tell me who were these arms meant for and for what purpose, who commissioned this armsdrop?
Davy: The arms were meant for self-protection. It is my complete conviction that if I was tried in a court of law about the legality of dropping arms to protect people against state sponsored Communist terror, I would clear my name because it was legal defence against decades of murder, torture, rape by the CPI(M) in West Bengal. I have seen friends being butchered in front of my eyes for so many years and all I did was to work for the betterment of the rural people of West Bengal. For 15 years, I worked to better the circumstances of the poorest of the poor in West Bengal, but the atrocities committed by the Communist simply became too much when too many friends were tortured to death so we had to defend ourselves against these attacks and that was the whole background of the Purulia arms drop.
Well I don't know if everyone is going to buy that argument but tell me who sent you? My question to you was who commissioned this arms drop and were there any Indians involved?
Davy: Of course there were Indians involved. There were political forces at the centre. There have been for years MPs who had seen the atrocities committed against the people of Purulia district and 24 MPs had signed the petition to the President to intervene to try to protect these people, nothing happened. And finally central government saw and approved the plans to arm the defence of these innocent people.
Name the people, can you name the people?
Davy: I can tell you as much as RAW was informed by external forces and approved of the arms drop months in advance of the arms drop.
Which external forces?
Davy: The communication was between the British intelligence MI5 and RAW. There was a British ex-intelligence officer on board the plane. The Indian authorities knew the flight plan, the people on board, the cargo, the drop zone -- everything was known well in advance and approved well in advance.
You are saying that the Indian government knew and authorised these arms drop over Indian territory by you?
Davy: I am saying that there were political forces in the centre in Delhi who saw it as an opportune way to further their political agenda. You must remember that we are talking ancient history here, but in 1988 centre introduced Presidential rule in Tripura after engaging in supplying arms to different rebel groups there. The same strategy was announced publicly in the beginning of the 90's that there was a decision to introduce Presidential rule in West Bengal and therefore it was seen as a furthering of this agenda that arms were procured to protect local people.
What was your role? You were working with the British and American intelligence officials, were there American intelligence officials also involved or only British?
Davy: To my knowledge there were no Americans involved.
So these were British MI5 which was involved in this and you are saying they told the India's external intelligence agency RAW about it?
Davy: No I am not telling that. This is a well published fact -- go to their webpage and you will see the exact date when MI5 conferred this whole matter to RAW. It is a matter of public knowledge that this coordination was taking place.
This is the reason you are saying that you were able to slip in that night, in 1995? You flew into Indian territory, you are saying you were allowed to fly in, the movement was facilitated and you are saying the Indian government was told about it?
Davy: Well look at the zest of this. It is a matter of public record that RAW was informed on three defined dates by MI5 about the arms drop, the people on board the plane, the drop zone everything was informed. This is a matter of public record. I don't know who in their right mind would fly a plane from the arch enemy of Pakistan into Indian airspace with a load of clandestine weapons without having it cleared by with the Indian authorities. It is unthinkable to do that.
So tell me what happened after that? If you managed to come in, tell me about that flight, where you took it from, how you got the clearances, what assurances you had if you are saying you had some assurances from the Indian side? Who were those assurances coming from?
Davy: That was a lot of questions, can we take them one at a time
Sure, where were the assurances coming from?
Davy: You were saying how did the flight happen, how did I get away afterwards, what did you ask?
No tell me about the first part on how the flight happened, who gave you the assurances that you would be allowed to come in?
Davy: Well, I was in direct contact with an MP who told me that he was in further contact with the Prime Minister's office and on the 16th of December I was called in Karachi by these people who told me that I had to finish the job within 48 hours otherwise the window that they had opened for me would be closed down again. So it was very clear that the communication was on time and clearly it was also defined. It was proven in the court case that the radar station concerned, the Military radar that could have detected this was turned off, was switched off and the order for this came from RAW. So don't take my word for it is what I am saying
Can you name the Member of Parliament. Please?
Davy: We will do that live
Why should we not believe that this is a tall claim?
Davy: Well, I can only repeat that, please verify the facts that I am putting forward for you. Please verify that these contacts between MI5 and RAW did take place, please verify the fact that the radar was turned off, please verify all these external facts and you will see that what I am saying is the only logical explanation of what happened that time
Neils, you just said that you had been called in by some people in Karachi and set about finishing this job in 48 hours. Who are these people? When you mention these people, who are these people?
Davy: Well I can only say to you that immediately after the arms drop went wrong and crew and Peter Bleach was caught, there was an investigation going into a Bihari political connection into the arms drop. And that line of investigation was curiously enough, closed down very shortly afterwards and throughout these 15 years that has passed since, three Parliamentary Commissions in India have been commissioned. Nobody has ever seen the result of those. Though it is a matter of public record outside India that there was this communication between MI5 and RAW it has never been discussed in the Indian public, so everytime that the real story has tried to sneak its way forward in this, it has been clamped down and stopped. For obvious reasons because in the Central government in India it is only to turn a couple of pages and one will know who was behind and why, it is a matter of knowledge, it is not a matter of guesswork.
What about you leaving? In what circumstances did you leave the country? There have been different reports about that, can you elaborate a little bit on that please?
Davy: Well, first I was helped out of the airport in Mumbai and after that I was smuggled out of India to Nepal on the backseat of an MP's car. I can give you the full details and the latest dates when we talk again but it was very clear that those forces that had approved the arms drop did not want me to be interrogated by the CBI or anybody because the story that I can tell, would not have been convenient. Obviously today there must be political forces in India who see it as an opportune time for me to tell the full story and that's why I think the extradition is now on the table.
Neils...in this period when you were, before you disappeared, you vanished from Mumbai airport from what we know, in this period when you were held, were you in touch with the people , like you mentioned the Member of Parliament, were you in touch with those people in this period?
Davy: Before leaving the country you mean?
Yes
Davy: Yes, I was in their care
Where
Davy: First in Delhi, Mumbai, Delhi and then over the border, land border to Nepal
And you were taken in an MP's car into Nepal through the land route
Davy- Right
And there were officials with you?
Davy: I don't know what officials they were. But there was a car in front, a car behind with AK-47 holding guard, the whole way. I obviously did not ask people's name and what there duty was but it was obvious to me that I was being whisked out of the country by people who had the power and the ability to do it
What is your link with the Anandmarg?
Davy- Well, you see for 15 years I worked with development work in Africa, in Central America and especially in India. I worked with the Catholic Church, I worked with Anandmarg. I worked with Greenpeace, with different organizations through these 15 years. The project in Purulia was reference project for all NGO's around the world that I worked with. Everybody referred to the development project of Purulia as the light and the way to do things. To develop grassroots up with local resources with local people. So this project caught the imagination of not only me, but thousands around the world and when we continuously got these reports of people, even an Australian women who was almost killed by the Communist goondas, her name was Patricia. When we saw our volunteers ending up like you see in these pictures here, butchered by the Communists. This made an enormous impression, you must remember that I as a young 19 year old came to Kolkata for the first time, coming from one of the most affluent corners of the world and I saw the suffering in Kolkata and it moved my heart to do something. I had to work tirelessly for 15 years.
My first question to you Niels Christian Nielsen, alias Kim Davy, Why are you choosing to speak out now?
Davy: I am under the danger of being extradited to India as a terrorist, I don't feel I am a terrorist; I have not done anything to harm anyone. On the contrary I have done things to protect people from Communist terror, state sponsored terror and I kept my silence in all those years, 15 years. But now political forces in India are coming out to reach me again as they did 15 years ago and I feel its time to set the record straight.
I will call you Kim Davy because you are known as Kim Davy across the country. Tell me who were these arms meant for and for what purpose, who commissioned this armsdrop?
Davy: The arms were meant for self-protection. It is my complete conviction that if I was tried in a court of law about the legality of dropping arms to protect people against state sponsored Communist terror, I would clear my name because it was legal defence against decades of murder, torture, rape by the CPI(M) in West Bengal. I have seen friends being butchered in front of my eyes for so many years and all I did was to work for the betterment of the rural people of West Bengal. For 15 years, I worked to better the circumstances of the poorest of the poor in West Bengal, but the atrocities committed by the Communist simply became too much when too many friends were tortured to death so we had to defend ourselves against these attacks and that was the whole background of the Purulia arms drop.
Well I don't know if everyone is going to buy that argument but tell me who sent you? My question to you was who commissioned this arms drop and were there any Indians involved?
Davy: Of course there were Indians involved. There were political forces at the centre. There have been for years MPs who had seen the atrocities committed against the people of Purulia district and 24 MPs had signed the petition to the President to intervene to try to protect these people, nothing happened. And finally central government saw and approved the plans to arm the defence of these innocent people.
Name the people, can you name the people?
Davy: I can tell you as much as RAW was informed by external forces and approved of the arms drop months in advance of the arms drop.
Which external forces?
Davy: The communication was between the British intelligence MI5 and RAW. There was a British ex-intelligence officer on board the plane. The Indian authorities knew the flight plan, the people on board, the cargo, the drop zone -- everything was known well in advance and approved well in advance.
You are saying that the Indian government knew and authorised these arms drop over Indian territory by you?
Davy: I am saying that there were political forces in the centre in Delhi who saw it as an opportune way to further their political agenda. You must remember that we are talking ancient history here, but in 1988 centre introduced Presidential rule in Tripura after engaging in supplying arms to different rebel groups there. The same strategy was announced publicly in the beginning of the 90's that there was a decision to introduce Presidential rule in West Bengal and therefore it was seen as a furthering of this agenda that arms were procured to protect local people.
What was your role? You were working with the British and American intelligence officials, were there American intelligence officials also involved or only British?
Davy: To my knowledge there were no Americans involved.
So these were British MI5 which was involved in this and you are saying they told the India's external intelligence agency RAW about it?
Davy: No I am not telling that. This is a well published fact -- go to their webpage and you will see the exact date when MI5 conferred this whole matter to RAW. It is a matter of public knowledge that this coordination was taking place.
This is the reason you are saying that you were able to slip in that night, in 1995? You flew into Indian territory, you are saying you were allowed to fly in, the movement was facilitated and you are saying the Indian government was told about it?
Davy: Well look at the zest of this. It is a matter of public record that RAW was informed on three defined dates by MI5 about the arms drop, the people on board the plane, the drop zone everything was informed. This is a matter of public record. I don't know who in their right mind would fly a plane from the arch enemy of Pakistan into Indian airspace with a load of clandestine weapons without having it cleared by with the Indian authorities. It is unthinkable to do that.
So tell me what happened after that? If you managed to come in, tell me about that flight, where you took it from, how you got the clearances, what assurances you had if you are saying you had some assurances from the Indian side? Who were those assurances coming from?
Davy: That was a lot of questions, can we take them one at a time
Sure, where were the assurances coming from?
Davy: You were saying how did the flight happen, how did I get away afterwards, what did you ask?
No tell me about the first part on how the flight happened, who gave you the assurances that you would be allowed to come in?
Davy: Well, I was in direct contact with an MP who told me that he was in further contact with the Prime Minister's office and on the 16th of December I was called in Karachi by these people who told me that I had to finish the job within 48 hours otherwise the window that they had opened for me would be closed down again. So it was very clear that the communication was on time and clearly it was also defined. It was proven in the court case that the radar station concerned, the Military radar that could have detected this was turned off, was switched off and the order for this came from RAW. So don't take my word for it is what I am saying
Can you name the Member of Parliament. Please?
Davy: We will do that live
Why should we not believe that this is a tall claim?
Davy: Well, I can only repeat that, please verify the facts that I am putting forward for you. Please verify that these contacts between MI5 and RAW did take place, please verify the fact that the radar was turned off, please verify all these external facts and you will see that what I am saying is the only logical explanation of what happened that time
Neils, you just said that you had been called in by some people in Karachi and set about finishing this job in 48 hours. Who are these people? When you mention these people, who are these people?
Davy: Well I can only say to you that immediately after the arms drop went wrong and crew and Peter Bleach was caught, there was an investigation going into a Bihari political connection into the arms drop. And that line of investigation was curiously enough, closed down very shortly afterwards and throughout these 15 years that has passed since, three Parliamentary Commissions in India have been commissioned. Nobody has ever seen the result of those. Though it is a matter of public record outside India that there was this communication between MI5 and RAW it has never been discussed in the Indian public, so everytime that the real story has tried to sneak its way forward in this, it has been clamped down and stopped. For obvious reasons because in the Central government in India it is only to turn a couple of pages and one will know who was behind and why, it is a matter of knowledge, it is not a matter of guesswork.
What about you leaving? In what circumstances did you leave the country? There have been different reports about that, can you elaborate a little bit on that please?
Davy: Well, first I was helped out of the airport in Mumbai and after that I was smuggled out of India to Nepal on the backseat of an MP's car. I can give you the full details and the latest dates when we talk again but it was very clear that those forces that had approved the arms drop did not want me to be interrogated by the CBI or anybody because the story that I can tell, would not have been convenient. Obviously today there must be political forces in India who see it as an opportune time for me to tell the full story and that's why I think the extradition is now on the table.
Neils...in this period when you were, before you disappeared, you vanished from Mumbai airport from what we know, in this period when you were held, were you in touch with the people , like you mentioned the Member of Parliament, were you in touch with those people in this period?
Davy: Before leaving the country you mean?
Yes
Davy: Yes, I was in their care
Where
Davy: First in Delhi, Mumbai, Delhi and then over the border, land border to Nepal
And you were taken in an MP's car into Nepal through the land route
Davy- Right
And there were officials with you?
Davy: I don't know what officials they were. But there was a car in front, a car behind with AK-47 holding guard, the whole way. I obviously did not ask people's name and what there duty was but it was obvious to me that I was being whisked out of the country by people who had the power and the ability to do it
What is your link with the Anandmarg?
Davy- Well, you see for 15 years I worked with development work in Africa, in Central America and especially in India. I worked with the Catholic Church, I worked with Anandmarg. I worked with Greenpeace, with different organizations through these 15 years. The project in Purulia was reference project for all NGO's around the world that I worked with. Everybody referred to the development project of Purulia as the light and the way to do things. To develop grassroots up with local resources with local people. So this project caught the imagination of not only me, but thousands around the world and when we continuously got these reports of people, even an Australian women who was almost killed by the Communist goondas, her name was Patricia. When we saw our volunteers ending up like you see in these pictures here, butchered by the Communists. This made an enormous impression, you must remember that I as a young 19 year old came to Kolkata for the first time, coming from one of the most affluent corners of the world and I saw the suffering in Kolkata and it moved my heart to do something. I had to work tirelessly for 15 years.
