In a move to unearth sleeper cells existing if any in the State, as revealed by terror outfit Indian Mujahideen’s founder Yasin Bhatkal, the Himachal Pradesh police has written a letter to National Investigation Agency (NIA) seeking interrogation records pertaining to Dalai lama.
Revelations by Bhatkal to the investigating agencies has till now suggested that Dharamsala, the abode of Tibetan spiritual guru Dalai lama, has been on the terror radar of Indian Mujahideen (IM) and he himself had planned to visit the city.
According to intelligence sources Bhatkal has till now revealed that two of his close associates have visited the hill town Dharamshala to do a recce of the probable targets especially of the Buddhist importance, and attacks which could have international ramifications.
Bhatkal is currently in the custody of NIA after his arrest from Indo-Nepal border in Bihar but has still not divulged anything about the purpose of his plan to visit the town where Dalai lama resides.
Police sources said Dharamsala could be a potential target of the IM, which may have planned to launch an attack to take revenge against Buddhists for committing atrocities on minorities Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. Himachal Police in a letter to NIA had sought the entire interrogation report pertaining to the visit of two of Bhatkal’s aide and any information regarding plans of attacks on Buddhist installations.
“We have come to know about some revelations by Bhatkal on Dharamshala and Dalai lama and other places of Buddhist importance in the state by media and thus we have written to NIA the agency probing the case to share the interrogation reports or intelligence inputs, if any, which could help the Himachal Police in identifying any sleeper cell working or any efforts to be done on beefing up the security,” said a seniorpolice official on the condition of anonymity.
“We have written to NIA seeking details of interrogation reports of Yasin Bhatkal having revelations about threat to Dharamashala and other Buddhist personalities and places,” said DIG (intelligence and security) Abhishek Trivedi.
It is suspected that the July terror strike in Bodhgaya of Bihar was also part of the strategy to target Buddhists to avenge killings of Rohinyas in Myanmar and intelligence agencies have information about Bhatkal’s meeting with two al-Qaeda men in January 2013 in a Gulf country, where the strategy to target Buddhists was discussed.
Around 30, 000 Tibetan Buddhists live in 14 settlements across the state and the total number of monasteries both small and big is over 150. NIA had already issued alert to the state regarding possible alert of attack on Buddhist establishments.