The Indian Mujahideen has said that Mumbai is also one of their targets.
MUMBAI: The Indian Mujahideen, which has claimed responsibility for the Delhi blasts with an email sent to various media houses minutes before six explosions rocked the capital, has said that Mumbai is also one of their targets. “…let the Indian Mujahideen warn all the people of Mumbai that whatever deadly attacks you will face in future, the only responsible elements for it will be the Mumbai ATS and their guardians: Vilasrao Deshmukh and RR Patil. You are already on our hit-list and this time very very seriously,” the emailsaid. According to the ATS, the email, which originated from Chembur, was sent from the Wi-Fi connection of a company called Kamran Power, which had allegedly been hacked into. The mail may have been sent by Abdus Subhan Qureshi alias Tauqeer, who has been evading arrest since the Ahmedabad blasts. Initial investigations suggesting that the mail may have been sent from Mumbai sent cyber experts scurrying to various parts of the city. The ATS is carrying out further probes in coordination with the Delhi Police and the Intelligence Bureau.
ATS additional commissioner Parambir Singh said the ATS had received a copy of the email, the 14-page mail which criticises, among other things, the Mumbai ATS for working against the Mujahideen. “The email also threatened that the next target will be Mumbai,” he said.
Mumbai was put on high alert in any case, following the Delhi incident. “We were already in ready mode due to Ganeshotsav, and now the entire force has been put on high alert,” police commissioner Hassan Gaffoor said on Saturday. “We have started nakabandis and combing operations in sensitive areas, checking of hotels, guesthouses and strict vigil at all entry and exit points in the city.” CCTV cameras have been installed at various places in the city, and are being closely monitored.
“An initiative has also been taken to alert Ganeshotsav mandals to be extra vigilant and keep an eye on anything that seems suspicious,” Gaffoor said, adding that the Railway police have also been asked to keep an eye on passenger movement. “Though there is enough police presence on the streets, we are putting in extra efforts to further intensify patrolling,” he said. Director General of Police, AN Roy, too, issued similar instructions to regional and district heads of police, sources in state police control room informed.
In its email, the Mujahideen also trained its guns on the Mumbai ATS for allegedly torturing and harassing Muslims in the Mograpapada area of Andheri in recent combing operations. “You should know that your acts are not at all left unnoticed; rather we are closely keeping an eye on you and just waiting for the proper time to execute your bloodshed. We are aware of your recent night raids at Ansarnagar, Mograpada in Andheri and the harassment and trouble you created there for the Muslims...You threatened to murder them… and even misbehaved with the Muslim women and children there….” It added that chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and home minister
RR Patil would be responsible for any future attacks carried out the organisation.
Chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said he has directed all government agencies to be on alert on the eve of the visarjan on Sunday. Deshmukh, who was in Delhi for last two days, was scheduled to return to Mumbai late on Saturday. He has said he will visit Girgaum chowpatty at 7.30pm on Sunday to observe the immersions.
According to additional municipal commissioner Madhav Sangle, “the municipal corporation has made adequate security arrangements, in coordination with the police, at various immersion sites.” He added that CCTV cameras have been placed at important immersion sites like Girgaum chowpatty, Dadar and Juhu beach. The police bandobast at these sites will screen all suspicious elements.
“We have beefed up security and checking will be done more carefully,” Sanjay Barve, joint commissioner of traffic police, said. “We have already issued instructions to Ganesh mandals that no vehicle should be parked close to Girgaum chowpatty and we will not allow anyone to burst firecrackers.”
The use of emails to perpetrate terror seems to have increased in recent times. Till a few years ago, after every terror attack or blast would be followed by alleged outfits calling TV channels to claim responsibility. With the proliferation of the internet, alleged militants are now resorting to mass-posting of emails - sometimes just minutes before the blasts (as in the Delhi one), boldly warning security agencies about what was in store.
“There are computer-trained people in most terror outfits now who come up with innovative ideas like sending emails, without leaving any trace for security agencies to nail them by,” says a senior officer, requesting anonymity. “Recent emails pertaining to the Gujarat blasts reflect new techniques used by them. Wifi connections are hacked to send these mails.”
In the July 26 Ahmedabad blasts, the Indian Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the incident through an email
In May this year following the Jaipur blasts the outfit again claimed responsibility through an email
Last year, too, it claimed responsibility for the UP blasts through an email allegedly sent from a cybercafe in New Delhi’s Shakarpur locality, half an hour before bombs went off in Varanasi, Faizabad and Lucknow.
s_somendranath@dnaindia.net
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