Abu Backer Siddique is suspected to have planned to plant an IED in the premises

The latest security threat to the Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple here , in the run-up to Independence Day, has been substantially fleshed out, with the Union Home Ministry zeroing in on a long-wanted ultra believed to have a plan to bomb the shrine.

A specific intelligence input that has surfaced now reveals that the fundamentalist, identified as Abu Backer Siddique and who is absconding for about two decades, is suspected to have planned to “plant an IED” in the temple, a highly reliable source attached with the Home Ministry said.

The fundamentalist, who is wanted in many heinous crimes involving murders and attempt-to-murders of many Hindu Munnani leaders in Tamil Nadu, has planned to “disturb” the harmony in the city. By planting an explosive the device, he is likely to “settle” scores, the source told The Hindu over the phone on Saturday.

Recent interrogation of some of his accomplices suggested that the group has planned something ‘concrete’, which was why the State police had been put on ‘specific’ alert to step up vigil at the shrine .

Abu Backer had indeed figured in planting of explosives in many locations in Tamil Nadu, including the one in Madurai district, when BJP senior leader L.K. Advani was on his way to Shencottah en route Madurai a couple of years ago.

Meanwhile, the Madurai City Police conducted an indoor meeting with about 100 staff, including conservancy workers, supervisors and security personnel of the Meenakshi temple on Saturday.

Sources said Commissioner of Police Sanjay Mathur, Deputy Commissioner of Police Samant Rohan Rajendra, HR and CE Joint Commissioner Natarajan, and Board of Trustees chairman Karumuttu T. Kannan participated. The personnel were sensitised to the heightened vigil at the temple.

The staff were told about need to examine grocery items coming in to the temple kitchen and puja articles. Enhanced security check is likely to continue for some more time.