Anti terror squad
1
Mumbai | October 8-9, 2007 | Pages 16 | Re 1 Campus Wacky, witty and wise P-5 Life & Style No more singles P-12 JUGAL R. PUROHIT Mumbai, October 7, 2007 I t was his voracious appetite for research that made engineer Praveen Paruchuri leave home in Sriharikota for the US in 2002. It was this hunger again that made him stand out among his peers, and his thesis was picked up by security authorities at Los Angeles airport. The officials, who are seeking better measures to counter the increased threats posed by terrorists, are now trying it out, according to Praveen’s professor, Milind Tambe (42). ‘For security, police have to commit to a policy while their adversaries may observe and exploit the same.’ This was the line underlying Praveen’s research at the University of Southern California, Viterbi. Titled ‘Keeping the Adversary Guessing: Agent Security by Policy Randomization’, his pro- gramme was funded by the Depart- ment of Homeland Security’s Centre for Risk and Economic Analysis of Ter- rorism Events (CREATE). “To interrupt or deter a terrorist plot in the surveillance phase is the safest and most efficient manner to protect the airport,” said James Butts, director of law enforcement for Los Angeles airports. “This programme and technology directly addresses thwarting potential terrorists at the earliest stages of planning.” How it came about Speaking to Yuva, Prof Tambe, who grew up in Mumbai and has parents living here, said that at the founding of CREATE, different professors were making presentations when it occurred to him that terrorists manip- ulate the fact that everything has a schedule. “So the idea of randomiza- tion came up,” he said. He posed the problem to Praveen. “We were at that time (in 2004) strug- gling with some results where ran- domization had to be addressed to solve a problem,” Prof Tambe said. “But we did not pay serious attention to it. Then it occurred to us that we could just focus on randomization as an important property of plans or schedules.” In May 2007, when Praveen’s PhD was published, he presented his papers to police officers. ‘Come home’ Praveen’s father, a scientist with the Indian Space Research Organization, wants him to return and serve his own country. “I intend to do so,” the 26- year-old told Yuva on telephone. “But for a few years, I want to work here.” According to him, the greatest reward for a researcher is when his research is put to practical use. Praveen wants to “make tools that will assist a cop and provide him with arti- ficial intelligence”. But he does not see much scope for research in India. “In India, if I am doing a PhD, I am seen as someone who is getting into academics,” he said. “Here, there are so many compa- nies waiting to hire researchers. It’s so much of encouragement.” [email protected] Anti-Terror Squad Prof Milind Tambe (left) with his student Praveen Paruchuri RAJU PARULEKAR & KEYUR SETA Mumbai, October 7, 2007 A teenager on his way to cele- brate his birthday and a friend lost their lives after his car hit a lamppost on the West- ern Express Highway at about 2:45am on Sunday. Sufian Khan and friends Zaid Khan (20), Shahid Sheikh (21), and Farzan Merchant (20) were heading for Hotel Fountain at Mira Road from Jogeshwari to celebrate Sufian’s 20th birthday. But, at Balaji Dharamkata area in Borivli, he lost control, police said. Sufian and Zaid died on the spot while Shahid and Farzan are battling for their lives at the intensive care unit of Nanavati Hospital. The car was smashed so badly that firemen had to use gas cutters to extricate the corpses. Zaid was to marry on December 10. Preliminary investigations indicated that Sufian was driving the car, a red Maruti Swift, at high speed. Police said a group of four other youngsters was driving alongside in a Tata Indigo. “It is possible that the two groups were racing and Sufi- an lost control,” said Ravi Thakur, senior inspector at the Dahisar police station. Police have ruled out the possibility of drunk driving. “It is a clear case of over- speeding,” said Inspector Thakur. Zaid’s household at Mira Apartments in Oshiwara was in a state of shock. A second- year commerce student of NM College, Zaid aspired to be a businessman and had a promising future, said a rela- tion. “The four boys were thick friends,” said an aunt, who refused to divulge her name. “It’s all over now. Allah has been unkind to us.” Two buildings away, the Shaikhs were hoping for Shahid’s survival. Neighbours said the web designer was a well-behaved boy. “It’s just bad luck,” said his aunt, speaking to Yuva on the building’s inter- com. “We are praying that he survives.” Police crack down on erring motorists, p3 Birthday boy killed in car crash The mangled remains of the Swift that Sufian was driving Sriharikota-born researcher and his Mumbai-born professor help improve airport security in the US RAJU PARULEKAR Mumbai, October 7, 2007 P olice on Saturday arrested three youths for allegedly detaining a 21-year-old businessman. Police said Pramod Sharma (22), a resident of Goregaon, Rahul Desai (26), a resident of the GT Hospital servant quarters, and Sameer Omar Abdul Sheikh (20), a Santa Cruz (West) resident, abducted Neeraj Ruparel, a resident of Thakur Complex, from his Mangalam Ladies Shop in Akurli on Friday night. They allegedly took Mr Ruparel to a place in Santa Cruz and assaulted him. They also allegedly threatened him to return the chain and bracelet of a girl, with whom he had been frequenting a pub in Juhu. “They told Ruparel that they would be coming on Saturday to collect the valuables at Akurli,” said Senior Police Inspector M.G. Sakpal of the Samta Nagar police station. “Ruparel then regis- tered a complaint with the police, who laid a trap and arrested the trio on Saturday.” The three youths have been remanded in police custody till October 9. [email protected] 3 youths held for abducting biz man BRIGHT IDEA UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, VITERBI
Transcript of Anti terror squad
Mumbai | October 8-9, 2007 | Pages 16 | Re 1
CampusWacky,
witty andwise
P-5
Life &
StyleNo moresingles P-12
JUGAL R. PUROHIT
Mumbai, October 7, 2007
It was his voracious appetite forresearch that made engineerPraveen Paruchuri leave home in
Sriharikota for the US in 2002. It wasthis hunger again that made him standout among his peers, and his thesiswas picked up by security authoritiesat Los Angeles airport. The officials,who are seeking better measures tocounter the increased threats posed byterrorists, are now trying it out,according to Praveen’s professor,Milind Tambe (42).
‘For security, police have to committo a policy while their adversaries mayobserve and exploit the same.’ Thiswas the line underlying Praveen’sresearch at the University of SouthernCalifornia, Viterbi. Titled ‘Keeping theAdversary Guessing: Agent Security byPolicy Randomization’, his pro-gramme was funded by the Depart-ment of Homeland Security’s Centrefor Risk and Economic Analysis of Ter-
rorism Events (CREATE).“To interrupt or deter a terrorist
plot in the surveillance phase is thesafest and most efficient manner toprotect the airport,” said James Butts,director of law enforcement for LosAngeles airports. “This programmeand technology directly addressesthwarting potentialterrorists at the earlieststages of planning.”
How it came about
Speaking to Yuva, Prof Tambe, whogrew up in Mumbai and has parentsliving here, said that at the founding ofCREATE, different professors weremaking presentations when itoccurred to him that terrorists manip-ulate the fact that everything has aschedule. “So the idea of randomiza-tion came up,” he said.
He posed the problem to Praveen.“We were at that time (in 2004) strug-gling with some results where ran-domization had to be addressed tosolve a problem,” Prof Tambe said.
“But we did not pay serious attentionto it. Then it occurred to us that wecould just focus on randomization asan important property of plans orschedules.”
In May 2007, when Praveen’s PhDwas published, he presented hispapers to police officers.
‘Come home’
Praveen’s father, a scientist with theIndian Space Research Organization,
wants him to returnand serve his own
country. “I intend to do so,” the 26-year-old told Yuva on telephone. “Butfor a few years, I want to work here.”
According to him, the greatestreward for a researcher is when hisresearch is put to practical use.Praveen wants to “make tools that willassist a cop and provide him with arti-ficial intelligence”.
But he does not see much scope forresearch in India. “In India, if I amdoing a PhD, I am seen as someonewho is getting into academics,” hesaid. “Here, there are so many compa-nies waiting to hire researchers. It’s somuch of encouragement.”
Anti-Terror Squad
Prof Milind Tambe (left) with his student Praveen Paruchuri
RAJU PARULEKAR & KEYUR SETA
Mumbai, October 7, 2007
Ateenager on his way to cele-brate his birthday and a
friend lost their lives after hiscar hit a lamppost on the West-ern Express Highway at about2:45am on Sunday.
Sufian Khan and friends ZaidKhan (20), Shahid Sheikh (21),and Farzan Merchant (20) wereheading for Hotel Fountain atMira Road from Jogeshwari tocelebrate Sufian’s 20th birthday.But, at Balaji Dharamkata areain Borivli, he lost control, police said.
Sufian and Zaid died on the spot whileShahid and Farzan are battling for theirlives at the intensive care unit of NanavatiHospital. The car was smashed so badlythat firemen had to use gas cutters toextricate the corpses.
Zaid was to marry on December 10.
Preliminary investigations indicatedthat Sufian was driving the car, a redMaruti Swift, at high speed. Police said agroup of four other youngsters was drivingalongside in a Tata Indigo. “It is possiblethat the two groups were racing and Sufi-an lost control,” said Ravi Thakur, seniorinspector at the Dahisar police station.
Police have ruled out thepossibility of drunk driving.“It is a clear case of over-speeding,” said InspectorThakur.
Zaid’s household at MiraApartments in Oshiwara wasin a state of shock. A second-year commerce student ofNM College, Zaid aspired tobe a businessman and had apromising future, said a rela-tion. “The four boys werethick friends,” said an aunt,who refused to divulge hername. “It’s all over now. Allah
has been unkind to us.”Two buildings away, the Shaikhs were
hoping for Shahid’s survival. Neighbourssaid the web designer was a well-behavedboy. “It’s just bad luck,” said his aunt,speaking to Yuva on the building’s inter-com. “We are praying that he survives.”
Police crack down on erring motorists, p3
Birthday boy killed in car crash
The mangled remains of the Swift that Sufian was driving
Sriharikota-born researcher and his Mumbai-bornprofessor help improve airport security in the US
RAJU PARULEKAR
Mumbai, October 7, 2007
Police on Saturday arrested three youths forallegedly detaining a 21-year-old businessman.Police said Pramod Sharma (22), a resident of
Goregaon, Rahul Desai (26), a resident of the GTHospital servant quarters, and Sameer OmarAbdul Sheikh (20), a Santa Cruz (West) resident,abducted Neeraj Ruparel, a resident of ThakurComplex, from his Mangalam Ladies Shop inAkurli on Friday night.
They allegedly took Mr Ruparel to a place inSanta Cruz and assaulted him. They also allegedlythreatened him to return the chain and bracelet ofa girl, with whom he had been frequenting a pubin Juhu.
“They told Ruparel that they would be comingon Saturday to collect the valuables at Akurli,”said Senior Police Inspector M.G. Sakpal of theSamta Nagar police station. “Ruparel then regis-tered a complaint with the police, who laid a trapand arrested the trio on Saturday.”
The three youths have been remanded inpolice custody till October 9. [email protected]
3 youths held forabducting biz man
BR IGHT IDEA
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, VITERBI
