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First anniversary of Akshardham Temple attack
Ahmedabad, Sept 24: An year after the terrorist attack on Akshardham Temple, which claimed 33 lives, the temple resembles a fortress with a thick security cover thrown around its premises.
Ahmedabad, Sept 24: An year after the terrorist attack on Akshardham Temple, which claimed 33 lives, the temple resembles a fortress with a thick security cover thrown around its premises.
Deployment of State Reserve Police (SRP), closing all but one gate leading to the temple, increasing height of the boundary wall, and installation of CCTV's were part of the new security measures adopted after the attack.
While the temple authorities were busy with 'mahapuja' and `shradhanjali' programmes, police officials are busy interrogating Srinagar-based prime accused in the case to fine tune the missing links in the conspiracy. Two alleged Lashkar-e-Toiba militants took siege of the temple around 4.45 pm this day last year and were engaged in night-long gun battle with the security forces including the NSG which was flown in from New Delhi.
Though NSG marksmen managed to eliminate both the militants after day-break, the attack has left inedible scars on the psyche of the regular temple visitors.
Letters recovered from the duo revealed existence of a little known outfit called Tehreek-e-Kasas (outfit for revenge allegedly formed to avenge post-Godhra riots).
The victims included five women, four children, two state police commandos and one NSG commando while 72 persons were injured with one NSG commando still on life support system. The probe was initially handled by the anti-terrorist squad of Gujarat Police but their success was limited to getting hold of few e-mail addresses and tracing a cyber cafe in Juhapura area allegedly used by the militants.
The major breakthrough came on August 29 with the arrest of five persons including two clerics who allegedly hatched the conspiracy and sheltered the terrorists.
The case was then handed over to the Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) which claimed that the attack was planned in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.
On the basis of forensic laboratory reports, DCB later claimed that the letter recovered from the militants was written by one of the two clerics who were arrested.
However, an LeT militant arrested by Jammu and Kashmir Police challenged DCB's findings and said there was no local contact and it was he who had escorted the duo to the city to carry out the attack. Bureau Report
While the temple authorities were busy with 'mahapuja' and `shradhanjali' programmes, police officials are busy interrogating Srinagar-based prime accused in the case to fine tune the missing links in the conspiracy. Two alleged Lashkar-e-Toiba militants took siege of the temple around 4.45 pm this day last year and were engaged in night-long gun battle with the security forces including the NSG which was flown in from New Delhi.
Though NSG marksmen managed to eliminate both the militants after day-break, the attack has left inedible scars on the psyche of the regular temple visitors.
Letters recovered from the duo revealed existence of a little known outfit called Tehreek-e-Kasas (outfit for revenge allegedly formed to avenge post-Godhra riots).
The victims included five women, four children, two state police commandos and one NSG commando while 72 persons were injured with one NSG commando still on life support system. The probe was initially handled by the anti-terrorist squad of Gujarat Police but their success was limited to getting hold of few e-mail addresses and tracing a cyber cafe in Juhapura area allegedly used by the militants.
The major breakthrough came on August 29 with the arrest of five persons including two clerics who allegedly hatched the conspiracy and sheltered the terrorists.
The case was then handed over to the Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) which claimed that the attack was planned in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.
On the basis of forensic laboratory reports, DCB later claimed that the letter recovered from the militants was written by one of the two clerics who were arrested.
However, an LeT militant arrested by Jammu and Kashmir Police challenged DCB's findings and said there was no local contact and it was he who had escorted the duo to the city to carry out the attack. Bureau Report