The state government has said it has received specific inputs from Central agencies,indicating imminent and potential threat from terrorist organisations to the life of captured 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab. In an affidavit to the Bombay High Court,deputy commissioner of police Suhas Warke said the underlying motive of the contemplated attack is not only to kill Kasab but also to scuttle the judicial process,and to send a signal of insecurity in the country. The affidavit has been filed in response to a public interest litigation,opposing the closure of Arthur road to traffic in the wake of the 26/11 trial that has begun inside the heavily-guarded Arthur Road Jail. Warke,however,said for reasons of secrecy,it is not possible to spell out the exact nature of the threats. He also declined to elaborate further on the nature of security arrangements in and around the court premises. Maintaining that services like google.com that were not easily available during the 1993 serial blasts trial make it easy to execute terror attacks these days,he said traffic regulations are an integral part of a plan,chalked out after consultations with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and other sister agencies,to counter terrorist attacks. Noting that the police are empowered to regulate traffic for adequate reasons under Section 115 of the Motor Vehicles Act,Warke said the police had held public meetings,to establish a dialogue with residents,after which solutions were devised and implemented. The High Court had on Thursday directed Special Judge ML Tahilyani to look into the grievances of residents and business establishments on Arthur Road. The judge has been asked to meet the aggrieved people,based on which he will submit a report to the court on Monday. A division bench of Justice Bilal Nazki and Justice VK Tahilramani had also ordered the payment of Rs 10,000 to the judge for this purpose. The petition was filed by the Gujarat Service Centre,along with other business establishments and residents,who contended that the closure of the road had affected their business and day-to-day lives. The court had also directed Judge Tahilyani to find out whether security can be provided to Kasab without causing inconvenience to the residents. The petitioners had also contended that the trial could take months and even years to conclude as there are hundreds of witnesses to be examined. The court will hear the case on Tuesday.
