E-mails warn of terror attacks on India

TIMES NEWS NETWORKMUMBAI: A few hours after police commissioner M N Singh toldnewsmen that terrorist organisations were making extensive use ofthe Internet for networking, unlike the underworld which stillpreferred mobile phones, Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL)received an e-mail threatening to blow up all important installations in Delhi,Mumbai and Bangalore, besides airports, railway stations and hospitals. The e-mail, which was received by the VSNL and handed over to the police at7.30 pm on Wednesday, was also sent to important organisations like theBhabha Research Atomic Centre, various airlines, consulates, etc., jointcommissioner of police (crime), B S Mohite told newsmen on Thursday. The e-mail text challenges the police to protect India, saying that a group of"freedom fighters" based in Mumbai, Delhi, Gulbarga and Jaipur will execute`operation chaos in India' anytime up to November 14. The e-mail was sentbetween 1.30 pm and 2.30 pm on Wednesday.


In a quick operation that lasted merely two hours, the police, under thesupervision of deputy police commissioner, Archana Tyagi, along with internet experts Vijay Mukhi, Flynn Remedios and staff, swooped down on a cybercafe,Jay Paras, at Rajawadi in Ghatkopar and picked up its owner for interrogation. Mukhi said the e-mail was traced through the internet protocol (IP) addressallotted to it. "The e-mail was sent using a dial-up connection through aspecific telephone number which was traced to the cybercafe," he said. Mohite however, refused to identify the owner, but said either he or somebodyknown to him must have sent the e-mail since he alone had the password tothe particular machine from where the mail was sent. The police have seized themachine and registered a case of sedition, conspiracy and threatening nationalsecurity against the unidentified senders. Mohite also refused to comment on whether the e-mail could be a hoax. "Weare taking the case very seriously," he said. He said, the police had alerted allthe organisations which have been threatened and security heightened.

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