Mumbai on red alert for Sunday

According to a senior central government officer, Mumbai has been put on 'red alert' for Sunday, August 20.

Intelligence agencies have assessed that August 20 is a crucial day for Mumbai and they have certain intelligence reports about active terror modules.

Accordingly, central and state authorities have made arrangements to have extra security around temples, malls, theaters, sensitive establishments, public places and places of economic importance.

What is intriguing is that Sunday is the Parsi New Year and the birthday of late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi; intelligence agencies are unable to gauge the significance of these events for terrorist outfits.

After the July 11 Mumbai bomb blasts, a senior police officer had told rediff.com, "We have to solve the mystery of the serial blasts as soon as possible because perpetrators of crime should not get emboldened. If the blasts mystery is not solved soon, the Mumbai runs the high risk of another terror act."

He had said, "If we are lucky we won't have another incident within the next month. The terrorists have been unsuccessful in their objective of provoking communal riots in Mumbai. So they will try again and see if they succeed the next time. But no crime is perfect. These terrorists should remember that."

All security agencies have been alerted about the risk Mumbai is carrying on and according to sources, "There is no need to panic."