Indian scientists on hitlist

Sun, Jan 10 05:27 AM
At least seven top scientists working in sensitive sectors and important defence installations have been provided Y security — police escort 24 x 7 — after "specific threats" were received against them.

These are scientists working in the space, nuclear and sensitive defence technology areas. Based on the threats, reviews were carried out at high levels before taking precautionary measures.

Similarly, throughout last year, the maximum terror threat, sources said, was to defence installations and, in fact, sources said, one such plan was "disrupted" when intelligence was received around October-November that installations had been surveyed in 2008 for launching "sea borne attacks".

This prompted a major review of coastal security arrangements by agencies as well as the Cabinet Committee on Security. Key among these targets were the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and INS Virat.

Around July-August, the government received information of about 34 targets which were again primarily defence and other sensitive installations. These included the Army Headquarters in Delhi, the Western Naval Command and other military areas in Mumbai besides the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington.

With the arrest of David Coleman Headley, sources said, it's now clear that groups like the Lashkar-e-Toiba were sponsoring surveillance of key targets here. But the unanswered question still remains about scientists becoming targets and how they are being monitored.

At least 12-14 terror plans, top government sources said, were disrupted or prevented last year. Much of this was possible because the capacity for terror groups to carry out these attacks in India had vastly diminished. With the Indian Mujahideen rounded up, the LeT had to launch Pakistani terrorists for the Mumbai attacks.

But 26/11 led to unprecedented cooperation between India and the US on security matters. Both sides figured out that all groups active in India had some six to seven key nodes in Pakistan from where they received support, direction, training and other necessary logistics.

Since last September, international partners like the US have been able to make matters difficult for these "nodes" to function. More importantly, sources confirmed that so far, key plans have come to be known in advance making it possible to take preventive action.