Adding a new dimension to the blame game over terror strike alerts, it is learnt that the State Intelligence wing took the “general” alert on possible terror attacks so casually that it did not even bother to pass on the alert to the Hyderabad and Cyberabad police commissionerates.
And the reason being cited for the major lapse is: “The alert was too general to be passed on to the respective wings of the state police!”
Earlier, the alert issue triggered a row between the Centre and the state after the twin bomb blasts rocked Hyderabad claiming 17 lives. The central officials claimed the alerts sent by them to the state had not been acted upon while the latter said the alerts were not specific.
Sources disclosed to Express that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had issued three alerts – on Feb 16, 19 and 20 – mentioning that Pak-based terror groups may carry out attacks in four cities – Hyderabad, Bangalore, Coimbatore and Hubli.
It said terror attacks could be carried out to avenge the hanging of 26/11 convict Ajmal Kasab and the Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and advised the police of the respective states to step up vigil.
After receiving the first alert on Feb 16, the intelligence wing passed on the message to the local police. However, when the second and third alerts were sent, that is on Feb 19 and 20, the Intelligence wing reportedly ignored them completely and did not pass on the message. As a result, except the Intelligence wing, none was aware of the terror alerts till the blasts occurred on Feb 21.
Even the MHA, instead of sending the alert directly to the Hyderabad police, sent it to the state Intelligence wing, sources said. Normally, MHA sends alerts to the states either directly to the DGP, commissioners of police or to the Intelligence wing. Though officials are keeping the entire matter a hush-hush affair as it could cause a major embarrassment, sources felt the alerts could have helped the Hyderabad and Cyberabad police to at least step up vigil, if not prevent the blasts. “Two alerts, even general in nature, which arrived at the Intelligence office, for two successive days, could not have been simply ignored,” sources said.
It is not clear whether the matter was brought to the notice of the chief minister though within the AP police the issue has led to a serious blame game among the concerned wings.
It is learnt an internal probe is on into the reported lapses of the intelligence wing, which is headed by additional DGP M Mahendar Reddy.