There were jitters in the city police force after Bilal told the ATS interrogators in Pune that Nashik was the target of the LeT and that a plan was drawn to target the military base in Deoali, police training academy and the police commissionerate in Nashik.
Soon after the disclosure by Bilal, Mishra called an urgent meeting of top police officials to discuss and chalk out a strategy to foil any attempt by the terrorists to carry out attacks.
Speaking to the media, Mishra said: "I do admit that there was complete intelligence failure to keep an eye on the movement of terrorists. The intelligence network has not been good. Security has now been beefed up. All industrial units in the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation area have been told to submit photographs of all their workers, along with the proof of their residential addresses."
From Bilal's statement it appears that the intention of the terrorists was to demoralize the police by carrying on terrorist attacks on the Maharashtra police academy, Mishra said.
In the meeting with top police officials, Mishra took stock of the prevailing law and order situation. "Bilal had been residing in Nashik for the past several months. During this period, he collected information about Maharashtra police academy and the police commissionerate. By carrying out terrorist attacks on the police academy and the police commissionerate, the terrorists objective was to jolt the police department. In this aspect, I had talked with ATS chief Rakesh Maria. As per the information provided by Maria, the Nashik police have been alerted and all precautions are being taken," Mishra added.
Mishra further said that the police are keeping a vigil in sensitive areas. Combing operations have also been carried out in sensitive areas from time to time. We have already informed the landlords that they should inform the police whenever they rent their houses to unknown persons. However, the landlord who rented his house to Bilal had not informed the police about the tenant. Hereafter the police will adopt a more stern action in this regard.
Meanwhile, police have registered a case under section 188 of Criminal Procedure against the landlady Gangubai Gulve who had rented the house to Bilal. The landlady was arrested later for her failure to inform the police about the tenant Bilal.
