MUMBAI: This week will be a tough time for the Maharashtra police as the situation in many pockets of state have been charged up with differences of opinion over execution of the 1993 serial bomb blast accused Yakub Memon .

Mumbai police had already sounded a high alert last week but Centre on Monday issued fresh circular sounding a high alert in atleast Mumbai, Nashik, Nagpur and Pune. Sources said that the fresh alert assumes significances in the wake of the terror attack in Gurdaspur in Punjab.

Intelligence sources said that the attack in Gurdaspur is similar to the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai. "We suspect the terrorists who have attacked Gurdaspur appears to be fidayeen (suicide) group," said an officer.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra police have sounded high alert not only to Mumbai, Nashik Pune and Nagpur but have deployed heavy police bandobast all over the state as only three days to go for Memon's hanging.

Mumbai police commissioner Rakesh Maria is likely to take review of the situation on Tuesday. "We have identified few minority sensitive zones and have enhance the security.We are also conducting nakabhandis and have started combing operation in which the notorious criminals are being detained under the Mumbai police act as a preventive measures," said Dhananjay Kulkarni, deputy commissioner of police (crime).

He said that policemen's leaves have been cancelled and the special branch and crime branch officials have been asked to increase vigilance and collect intelligence. There is strong speculation that underworld gang particularly Dawood Ibrahim or Ibrahim alias Tiger Memon may retaliate and possibility of communal tension.

Yakub Memon, the alone accused in 1993 serial blast which killed 257 people and injured over 700,is likely to be hanged in Nagpur jail. He has moved a review mercy petition before the supreme court which is likely to be heard on Monday.