Of the four Kalyan youths who had left to join ISIS in May, one has returned.
The shadow of ISIS seems to be looming large over the city. Following closely on the heels of this newspaper's report that an ISIS sympathiser was planning a Peshawar-like attack on a city school, mid-day has learnt that a tweet by one of the four Kalyan youths who had allegedly joined the terror group in the Middle East has sent intelligence agencies into a tizzy.
According to Intelligence Bureau (IB) officials, the message clearly depicts the Kalyan youth's hatred towards the Gujarati community. They say the Gujarat riots had played a key role in indoctrinating youngsters like him. Safety measuresTaking serious note of the threat, the Mumbai police has ensured that the entire force is on its toes. The Gujarati pockets in Mumbai Mulund, Ghatkopar, Vile Parle, Kandivli, Borivli and Dahisar have been put on high alert. Deputy Commissioner of Police Dr V Rathod, who is in charge of Mulund, Ghatkopar and Vidyavihar areas, said, "My zone has a very high Gujarati population and we have increased our vigilance. The Anti-Terror Cells in the local police stations have been put on alert.
We have activated all our eyes and ears. Patrolling of police officials in plainclothes has been increased and the Quick Response Team has also been put on alert." The north region of the Mumbai police force has also been put on high alert and the leaves of policemen posted there have been cancelled. All the sixteen police stations in this region from Goregaon to Dahisar have been alerted.
Official spokesperson of the Mumbai Police, DCP Dhananjay Kulkarni, said, "After the Peshawar attack in Pakistan, we have a general alert in Mumbai." Though he did not confirm any specific alert pertaining to Gujaratis in the city, officials from police stations in Gujarati pockets did so on condition of anonymity.