Two ‘detained’ in Mumbai for e-mail on Delhi firing

MUMBAI - Two people have been detained here in connection with an e-mail allegedly sent by the Indian Mujahideen (IM) terror group soon after Sunday’s shooting outside Delhi’s Jama Masjid, police sources said Tuesday.

Mumbai police, however, refused to officially confirm this. “We would not reveal anything about this,” Joint Commissioner of Police Himanshu Roy told reporters.

The e-mail was apparently sent using a mobile phone whose SIM card was purchased in Mumbai using fake identification documents in the name of a woman.

Police and the Anti-Terrorist Squad are jointly working on the case in trying to trace out the person who procured the SIM card.

In the e-mail sent to the BBC Hindi service, the Indian Mujahideen threatened to unleash violence during the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games.

While making no reference to the Jama Masjid shooting by two men on a motorcycle who escaped, a statement by the outlawed group denounced the killings of civilians in the Kashmir Valley and pledged to hit at the Commonwealth Games. Two Taiwanese tourists were injured the attack.

Late Monday evening, Delhi Police confirmed that the Internet protocol address from which the e-mail was sent was traced to a Mumbai computer.

Two years ago, the IM hacked an unsecured Wi-Fi Internet connection of an American national, Kenneth Haywood, minutes before the Ahmedabad terror attack July 26, 2008, which left 50 dead, to claim responsibility.

Investigators said a similar modus operandi may have been used this time as well.

Only last month, police announced plans to check and weed out all mobile phone connections taken on the basis of fake documents.

The issue - including the alleged threat in an IM e-mail to Mumbai’s King Edward Memorial Hospital - has been treated with extreme seriousness by the authorities. Top government officials were closeted in a meeting Monday night to discuss the ramifications of potential threats.

In Maharashtra, the issue assumes dual significance in view of the immersion of idols of Hindu god Ganesh by devotees scheduled for Wednesday.