JAMMU, Nov. 27 -- Five days after Lashkar-e-Taiba activist Amir Ajmal Kasab was hanged for his role in the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008, a person claiming to be a Lashkar activist sent an e-mail to a Katra-based hotel, threatening to avenge his death by striking at Vaishno Devi shrine and Katra town, 13 km away.

The police said the mail carried this threat: "Indians will have to pay for the hanging of Kasab. Hindustanio get ready for another Diwali. We will strike in a big way."

Jammu Inspector General of Police Dilbagh Singh told HT: "The e-mail was sent from Bangalore by a person named Sayeed Anwar. A team has been sent there and we have heightened security around Katra town."

The e-mail was sent to the official ID of a three-star hotel in Katra on Saturday evening. After seeing the mail, the manager of the hotel informed the police who took away his laptop for investigations.

In Bangalore, police commissioner BG Jyotiprakash Mirji said he has formed a team to investigate the case. "The threat mail has been traced to a cyber cafe in north Bangalore," he said.

Last year 1.2 crore pilgrims had visited the Vaishno Devi shrine. This year about 90 lakh pilgrims have visited the shrine so far.

Additional deployment of security personnel has been made at Vaishno Devi and Katra town.

"We are not taking any chances. From the language it seems the terrorists are committed to strike," said a senior police officer.



Published by HT Syndication with permission from Hindustan Times.