Tight security for I-Day in wake of bomb threats

Chennai, Aug 14 (UNI) As tight security measures were put in place on the eve of Independence day to thwart any terror attacks in Tamil Nadu, the city police were thrown into a tizzy following anonymous calls that bombs were planted in mosques in Kottivakkam, Palavakkam and Vettuvankanni areas on the ECR stretch today.

Police, along with bomb detection squad personnel made a thorough search of the mosques in these areas, which comes under the Neelangarai police limits. However, no explosives were found.

The calls made from a BSNL Public coin-drop facility, turned out to be a hoax.

The hoax call came at a time when police had beefed up security arrangements across Tamil Nadu by deploying nearly one lakh personnel.

The unprecedented security arrangements came in the wake of police busting a terror module that plotted to trigger serial blasts in various parts of the State, including Chennai on the Independence Day.

Chennai City Police Commissioner R Sekar, who was personally involved in night patrol operations, said a three-tier security arrangement was put in place in Chennai city.

Patrolling and vehicle checks have been intensified and surveillance mounted on movement of suspicious elements. All the lodges also came under the police scanner to ascertain whether anti-social elements were staying there.

The terror plot hatched in the Puzhal Central prison came to light following the arrest of a Muslim Fundamentalist Abdul Gaffoor at Tirunelveli. His confession led to more arrests and also brought to the fore the involvement of banned Jihad Committee member and an expert trained in Pakistan for manufacturing IEDs, Ali Abdullah, in the conspiracy.

Ali Abdullah had hatched the conspiracy, to trigger 1998 type serial bomb blasts in the places of worship in Chennai and Tirunelveli, and in moving trains on August 15, in the prison where he was odged in connection with several blast cases.

A fresh case was slapped on him and he was formally arrested by the police, which also took him into custody and interrogated him.

As interrogations revealed involvement of several Muslim fundamentalists in the conspiracy, police have launched a massive manhunt to nab them and had tightened security to prevent any possible attack tomorrow.

UNI GV AE KP1755