Latest terror email sent from WiFi at Matunga’s Khalsa College

Preliminary investigations show that the senders hacked into the WiFi facility of the college, said Additional Commissioner of Police (ATS) Parambir Singh. This time, the senders deleted their log entries immediately after using the network, he added.

The Indian Mujahideen group had earlier used an unsecure WiFi network at the Navi Mumbai residence of American national Kenneth Haywood to send an email to various news organizations on July 26, just five minutes before the Ahmedabad explosions. In that case, Haywood’s WiFi router had its security features disabled.

Saturday’s email was sent from an email id created just six minutes before the email was sent. The router in question is located in the college’s computer centre on the mezzanine floor. The ATS team checking the network’s range found that it could be used from well outside the college gates, extending to the busy junction beyond.

Preliminary investigations on Sunday showed that the senders appeared to know that the router settings were on default mode, meaning that the default administrative log-in would accept the default password for that particular brand, information that is commonly available among those savvy with WiFi technology.

“The logs have been remotely accessed. Once they finished making the email ID and sending it, they deleted their entries. So in this case, though the logs were not disabled, things look difficult as everything is deleted,” said Singh. The router and some computers were seized by the ATS for forensic probes.

The ATS is now closely following up with service provider VSNL and will also approach Google Mail for details on the account. The earlier email before the Ahmedabad blasts was from a Yahoo account.

The Matunga police also registered a case against unknown persons for criminal intimidation and under Section 295 (A) of the Indian Penal Code for deliberately indulging in a malicious act to outrage religious feelings. “We have registered a case as this incident happened at our jurisdiction,” confirmed Sunil Deshmukh, senior police inspector of Matunga police station.

According to senior ATS officials, since the Navi Mumbai terror email pertained to the Ahmedabad blasts, the investigations were centred around the blast investigation. “This is a fresh case. We want to ensure that there is a proper complaint registered for us to take action,” confirmed a senior ATS official.

The college management meanwhile informed ATS that there were around six students using the computer centre at the time the email was sent. The computer centre, which initiated the WiFi facility for students last April, closes at 7.30 pm.

Khalsa College principal Dr Ajit Singh said the college was cooperating with investigators. “I cannot divulge anything at this point as investigations are on,” he said.

* THE terror e-mail was sent from alarbi.alhindi@gmail .com, allegedly by members of the Indian Mujahideen, on Saturday evening

* It is replete with sarcastic remarks about investigations into earlier emails, nicknaming Intelligence Bureau as the Ignorance Bureau and forensic experts as “foren-sick” ones. The seven page mail with the attachment ‘haha.pdf” is titled ‘Mood for Destruction’. It says those named as masterminds of the Ahmedabad blasts, Abu Bashir, Sajid Mansuri and others, are “innocent brothers”

* Challenges the Maharashtra ATS, stating that their ideology is supported by people who are very technologically far superior.

* The seven page mail concludes, without explanation, with gratitude to “Ken Haywood and associates”

* The only shift from earlier emails is that it does not bear the signature ‘Guru al Hindi’ which was in the earlier email