State had 40-day warning about 7/11

MUMBAI: “The LeT has planned to target markets, public places, and public transport systems in major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata.” This warning was conveyed by the Union home ministry to Maharashtra’s chief secretary and director-general of police as also Mumbai’s police commissioner on June 1 and 2, 2006. A copy of the alert is with DNA.

The existence of the alert implies that the state authorities were warned a full 40 days ahead of the July 11 blasts. It also contradicts the government’s claim that the intelligence inputs it received before the blasts were of a general nature.

The alert also mentioned a possible desecration of statues and religious places. This gains significance because Meenatai Thackeray’s bust was defaced at Shivaji Park two days before the blasts.

It said, “Security personnel have to be on full alert and all necessary steps have to be taken to streamline  security of all important institutions, places, public transport systems and functionaries.”

It also said that “targeting RSS offices and leaders is now an important component of the LeT plan”.

The alert, which also conveyed details of the LeT’s wider plans, warned that the group was planning “spectacular terrorist violence to destabilise the administration and economy of India... The LeT’s interest in targeting IT industry has been revived and a fresh survey is to be taken to identify software industry targets in South India, particularly Bangalore.”

The recent arrests in Nepal should also be cause for concern as the notice said “Nepal remains a very active route to induct fidayeen on assignment into India. The LeT also has plans to supply weapons and explosives through sea routes.”

Among other possible targets cited were critical infrastructure facilities. The notice named the Kaiga nuclear power plant, Tungabhadra and Nagarjunasagar dams, power transmission lines from Kaiga to Sirsi, Indian Oil dumps at Panjim, and Mazagon Docks.

Repeated attempts to contact Deputy Chief Minister RR Patil, Chief Secretary DK Shankaran and DGP PS Pasricha to comment on the alert proved futile.