Delhi could be next on SIMI radar; security beefed up

NEW DELHI: The Bangalore blast has kept the intelligence agencies and the special cell on their toes as there are strong indications that north India, preferably Delhi, could be the next target of SIMI. Investigators suspect the terror outfit's role in Sunday's blast.

Security agencies have conveyed the Delhi Police to step up vigil at vital installations and busy markets.

Police commissioner BS Bassi on Monday said that security had been beefed up in the capital in the wake of alerts and in view of New Year celebrations.

Some of the recent terror strikes are believed to have been orchestrated by the men from Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), who fled Khandwa jail in Madhya Pradesh last year. According to intelligence sources, a study of these attacks shows a pattern of the group moving from north to south and vice versa in their attempts to dodge the agencies.

"After the Chennai railway station blast in May, they carried out an explosion near Pune's Dagdusheth Ganapati temple in July and then moved further up to Bijnore in UP where an explosion took place while they were assembling bombs. From there, they are suspected to have found shelter in Mewat and Uttarakhand before moving to Hospet and Bangalore to carry out a blast," said an officer.

With the apprehensions of this SIMI module moving up north after the attack, the anti-terror sleuths have begun to scan movements of the sleeper cells which are, in a very clandestine manner, helping it carry out attacks, they say.

The current module has become the biggest threat for the security agencies due to their modus operandi of moving around the country and carrying out attacks blatantly.

The module comprises the five escaped jailbirds—Aijajuddeen, Aslam, Amjad Khan, Zakir Hussan and Mehboob Guddu—besides Salik alias Sallu who joined the group recently. It has been in touch with Pakistan-based elements but the police say not much of logistical help is available to them as of now.

However, they suspect that their Pakistan-based handlers would very soon be able to reach out to them to extend support. "Once they have the required support and logistics, these men have the potential to carry out a spectacular attack," an officer said.