""Ayeessa Kya?" (Is it so?)" continues...

(v) Further, it would be necessary that the Ahmedabad D-TAX through which the call was routed should inform D-TAX on real time basis as the call was in progress. Further, Delhi D-TAX 1 and D- TAX 2 should be manned at the time the call was on so that D-TAX, Janpath could inform the concerned exchange in Delhi on telephone, which would then make an effort to track down the number.
Most automatic exchanges in Delhi were not manned after 9 P.M.

The practical problems in tracking down the number were clearly understood by us. However, I told Saxena that rather than not make an effort at all, we should take our chances and do whatever was possible. There was one thing that worked in our favour—the extortion calls made by Latif were generally between 7 PM and 10 PM. Therefore, joint observation by Gujarat ATS, STF of CBI and
Telephone Authorities of Ahmedabad and Delhi was required only for a few hours every day. In coordination with ATS (Gujarat), officers were detailed on the two numbers in Ahmedabad, who were in wireless contact with their local Naurangpur Exchange, who in turn were in wireless contact with D-TAX Ahmadabad. A team of STF was located in D-TAX-I as well as in D-TAX-II in Delhi between 7 PM to 10 PM on a daily basis. I kept my seniors in the CBI in the loop.

This arrangement continued without any success for several days. In the interim, Latif called Ahmedabad a few times but the calls lasted only a couple of minutes. Therefore, the calling number could not be traced. On 7September 7, 1995, to our good luck, a call made by him lasted for more than thirteen minutes during which the entire chain of communication set-up between ATS of Gujarat Police, STF of the CBI and the telephone officials of Ahmadabad and Delhi moved like clock-work and the calling number in Delhi was traced to be 3281916 of the Daryaganj Exchange.

To be continued...