Man held for plotting terror strike

LUCKNOW: One of the about 50 terror suspects detained by the police in Uttar Pradesh following the Bangalore and Ahmedabad blasts was planning a terror strike in Varanasi, the police alleged on Wednesday.

Police surveillance was stepped up in the state after serial blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad together claimed over 50 lives last week. About 50 terror suspects were being interrogated, police sources said.

On Monday, The Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested a suspected Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) agent at the state capital here. Sources said call details of the suspect's phone revealed that calls were made to Karachi in Pakistan and several Indian states.
 
The suspect, Shakeel, was working as a salesman at a hardware shop. "He is a Pakistani national and during interrogation it was revealed that he was giving shape to a major terror attack in Varanasi," a Special Task Force (STF) official told IANS on condition of anonymity.
 
He added that Shakeel used to visit Varanasi frequently and had provided the police with  names of his accomplices in the Hindu holy town.
 
Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Brijlal on Tuesday held a meeting with top officials of the railways and the Government Railway Police (GRP) to review security measures.

"We held a meeting with the additional divisional railways managers of both the zones and senior officials of the GRP. The meeting was to review the security measures adopted by various departments in view of Independence Day and the rally of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to be held in Lucknow Aug 9," Brijlal said.