Authorities on Tuesday cancelled the two-day naval ship exhibition at Kolkata Port following alerts from the Central intelligence agencies that terrorists could try to carry out a blast at the port.
Sources said the intelligence inputs warned that Pakistan-sponsored terrorists with logistic support from a section of the Pakistan Navy were at the advanced stage of planning such blast at the Kolkata Port.The blasts could be carried out between November 4 and November 7, the police said quoting the agencies, adding that security had been trebled in many areas under the port district, including Garden Reach, Khiderpore.
The two naval ships currently docked at the Kolkata Port for the exhibition were being moved out to Sagar Islands, sources said. The security of the port was handled by the CISF, sources said.The high alert comes barely a months after the accidental blast at Khagragarh in Burdwan district that threw the lid off a nefarious terror plot being hatched by the Bangladesh terror outfit Jamat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) to assassinate Bangladesh Prime Minister Seikh Hasina and Opposition leader Khaleda Zia.
Subsequent investigations led to discovery of dozens of hideouts, including some unlisted madarasas, from where the terror moles were working to make and transport bombs.
“We have received information from the Central forces about a possible blast that can be carried out by the terrorists with the help of masterminds from Pakistan,” a senior police officer said, adding “We have issued a high alert and increased surveillance in the entire port area.”
Sources in Delhi said that a high-level alert was sounded for the Indian Navy after al-Qaeda’s newly formed regional wing made a failed attempt to hijack a Navy frigate from Pakistan’s Karachi base.
Meanwhile, the interrogation of the lone surviving terrorist injured in the Khagragarh blast was postponed with the State-run SSKM Hospital authorities delaying his release by a couple of days.
The NIA investigating the blast had already been complaining against the State Health department of non-cooperation in its efforts to access Hakim’s health status report. The Central agency even moved court to seek the report from the Health Department which functions under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.Incidentally, the Chief Minister had earlier assured the National Security Adviser that she would extend all cooperation in probing the Burdwan blast.