The police have beefed up
security around the high-security Arthur Road Prison where Qasab is kept in
solitary confinement in an egg-shaped cell, as also in and around the Bombay High
Court premises where Qasab would be taken daily from the prison during his
appeal hearing.
The Bureau of Civil Aviation
Security (BCAS) and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) which guard
the airport have also beefed up the security at the airport to the maximum
level. The new Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjeev Dayal, while confirming about
the intelligence alert said that the CISF taking the alert very seriously has
taken necessary steps from point of security.
Speaking to journalists in
Mumbai on Friday, state Home Minister R.R. Patil also confirmed that the state Home
Department and the Mumbai police had received the intelligence input from
federal intelligence agencies about the terrorists’ plan to hijack planes.
Underplaying the threat, Patil said, "There is nothing new in such
intelligence alerts. We receive such alerts from time to time and take
necessary deemed action."
A senior police official
told Arab News that for Pakistani intelligence agency ISI and the terrorist
organization Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) it is a matter of great concern if Qasab languishes
in the Indian prison. Therefore, the terrorists from the LeT would make all
efforts to free Qasab and for which they would hijack commercial aircraft from
Mumbai airport, the official added.
Even though Qasab, the
lone surviving terrorist was sentenced to death by Special Court Judge M.L.
Tahilyani last month, it would still take a long time for his execution, said a
prison official.
"His appeal in the
Bombay High Court would continue for several months, may be a year, after which
Qasab would file another appeal in the Supreme Court and he would finally file
a mercy petition to the president of India.
