World Cup 2011 venues, Delhi on IM radar

World Cup venues, Delhi on IM radar

After the terror attack in Varanasi on December 7, in which two persons died, home-grown terror outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM) had plans to strike Delhi, Mumbai, Kanpur, Indore and ICC World Cup 2011 venues in India according to the interrogation report (IR) of an alleged IM operative arrested by the

Uttar Pradesh Police earlier this year.

The cricket world cup venues include Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore and other metros in the country.

The report, a copy of which is in HT's possession, shows that the interrogation of 2008 Delhi blast accused Shahzad Ahmed revealed that the IM had hatched a plan that year to organise terror attacks in Delhi University's north campus, Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur as well as some venues of the cricket world cup next year.

After Varanasi

Indian Mujahideen had plans to attack Delhi, Mumbai, Kanpur, Indore and cricket World Cup 2011 venues.
The interrogation report of an alleged IM operative also shows IM had wanted to attack Delhi University's north campus and IIT Kanpur.
The attacks were reportedly planned to avenge arrest of 13 SIMI activists in 2008.

The attacks were planned to avenge the arrest of 13 activists of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) in Madhya Pradesh in 2008 besides other reasons including the Batla house encounter.

Ahmed allegedly told interrogators that Atif Amin, an IM leader who was killed in Delhi's Batla House encounter in 2008, had discussed the outfit's plans at a gathering in September that year.

He said that when IM operatives had assembled at Batla House to watch the Delhi blast coverage on TV, Amin had said Indore should be the next target as many SIMI office bearers, including Safdar Nagori and PA Shibly, were arrested by the Indore police. An IM team led by an operative named Sadiq Sheikh was deputed to execute the plan according to Shahzad's IR.  

An email sent after the Jama Masjid firing to media houses by IM on September 19 this year, claiming to avenge the arrest of Muslim youths in Ratlam on the day of Eid (September 11) has deepened intelligence officials' suspicion that the next attacks could take place in Delhi, Indore, Mumbai and other cities.