US national146;s laptop was off when terror email sent

Investigators probing the Ahmedabad blasts terror e-mail traced to US national Ken Haywood8217;s flat in Navi Mumbai...

Investigators probing the Ahmedabad blasts terror e-mail traced to US national Ken Haywood8217;s flat in Navi Mumbai have learnt that there were serious irregularities in his WiFi network that could have been manipulated only by those with a professional knowledge of IT operations. They also suspect that Haywood was chosen because of his nationality, signalling an attempt to embarrass the United States.

Sources said Haywood8217;s laptop was switched off for four hours when the mail was sent although his network remained active, indicating that the e-mail was sent by another computer using the unsecure WiFi network and probably not through a Trojan virus software as suspected earlier. Incidentally, officers said, that another US national lived in the apartment below Haywood8217;s who also had a WiFi connection but it was secure.

It has also been learnt that around 400 MB of data was used a little before the terror mail was sent and investigators are now probing if this involved the use of Voice over Internet Protocol VoIP to make a telephone call through the Internet or an actual data download. What has added weight to the suspicion of the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad ATS is that the login history of Haywood8217;s WiFi network had been disabled, making it impossible for him to keep a record of who used his Internet Protocol IP address, officers told The Indian Express.

8220;Haywood8217;s account had been misused by someone and he had complained to the service provider for overbilling him. Following this, his billing scheme was changed,8221; said ATS Joint Commissioner of Police Hemant Karkare.

Misuse of his internet account this year, by people fishing for unsecure WiFi networks, led Haywood to complain about inflated bills to his service provider Tata Indicom. It was a difference over Rs 15,000 in his bills a few weeks ago which finally forced the company to ask Haywood to change his account plan.

His network, however, remained unsecure 8212; a fact known to those who are believed to have sent the e-mail just five minutes before the blasts using the unsecured router in his house. According to sources, so unsecure was Haywood8217;s network that it was used for several downloads by many internet users since January.

An IT expert who closely works with the police in such cases said, 8220;In metros, it8217;s often seen that computer-savvy persons often share information with friends the minute they find an unsecure network. Someone who knew this unsecure network has passed this information.8221;

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Meanwhile, the ATS said it had formed 25 dedicated teams to probe local connections to the Ahmedabad terror strikes.