Mumbai: Security strengthened at Siddhivinayak temple after terror alert

Days before US President Barack Obama is set to visit the country to attend the Republic Day Parade in New Delhi, the State Intelligence Department (SID) has issued a circular asking the city police to be on high alert and look out for five suspected terrorists who are planning to plant a bomb near the Siddhivinayak temple on a busy Tuesday.

After receiving the circular, police have tightened security in and around Siddhivinayak temple. File pic for representation

The suspected terrorists have been identified as gang leader Abdulla Qureshi, and his assistants Nazir Ali, Jabed Ekbal, Nabid Zeman and Shamsher. These five men belong to one of the four Pakistan-based terror outfits Jamaat-ud-Dawa, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed or Hizbul Mujahideen.

A total of four groups have entered the country to carry out attacks in Maharashtra at Siddhivinayak Temple on a busy Tuesday Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Odisha, as per SID's circular. "They have been specifically asked to carry out terror attacks before January 28, at the temple on a Tuesday," said a police officer from Dadar police station, under whose jurisdiction Siddhivinayak temple falls.

"We have increased security around the temple. Heavy security will be deployed on January 26. Each and every person visiting the temple will be frisked. Moreover, we'll be implementing nakabandis in the city from today (Thursday) itself." Cops said the Navy and Coast Guard will be keeping an eye on the coastline, as terrorists had entered the city on 26/11 from the sea.

The US President is due to attend the R-Day parade in Delhi on January 26, and head back to the US on January 27 after visiting Agra. "Though Obama is not scheduled to visit the city, terrorist outfits are anxious to create large-scale violence to disrupt his visit. Earlier, the Navy and the Coast Guard had intercepted a Pakistani vessel carrying suspected terrorists, off the Porbandar coast in Gujarat, ," said a police officer.