Glare again on E Delhi cybercafes

An email sent to a news channel warning of random terrorist strikes in the Capital has sent security agencies in a tizzy, report Ravi Bajpai and Kapil Datta.

An email sent to a news channel on Thursday warning of random terrorist strikes in the Capital in the coming week has sent security agencies in a tizzy.

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The four-line email, reportedly sent in the name of proclaimed jehadi Babbar Khan, was received at India TV's Noida office at about 5 pm. It carries a vague threat of attacks on Delhi's vital installations in the next seven days, police said. It does not specify any target or time of attacks.

Uttar Pradesh's Additional Director-General (Law and Order) Brij Lal said they were taking the threat seriously since a similar email was sent to the same TV channel seconds before the serial blasts in Uttar Pradesh courts in November last year.

The email before the court blasts was sent from a cyber café in east Delhi's Vikas Marg. The fresh warning was also mailed from the same area but from a different joint, Saroj Internet Café, police said. A Delhi police officer said the email's format and text is quite different from the mail received in November.

"It is a crisp message. The earlier email was a three-pager and the senders had written why they were resorting to terrorist activities. Nevertheless, the resemblance is sinister," said the officer.

Noida's Senior Superintendent of Police A Satish Ganesh said they were informed on Thursday night and the UP police headquarters and Delhi Police Special Cell were immediately put on alert.

UP police's Anti-Terrorist Squad swung into action and were working in close coordination with Delhi's ATS team.

"The email was sent from babbarkhan28@yahoomail.com. The mailer used Saroj cyber café for the purpose. We are questioning the café's employees," said a Special Cell officer.

(with inputs from Lucknow)