High alert sounded in Delhi, elsewhere

Police are keeping a close watch on the security scenario in the capital and a high alert was sounded for all strategic formations, a senior police official said.

"All pre-emptive steps have been taken and top brass of Delhi Police is in constant touch with intelligence agencies," he told PTI.

The official said adequate steps were also taken to maintain security in the city. Sources said security was beefed up in all prominent places, including religious institutions, railway and metro stations, bus terminals and shopping malls.

West Bengal

High alert was also sounded in West Bengal in view of the bomb explosion at Hyderabad. "A high alert has been sounded in view of the bomb explosion at the Mecca Mosque. The police have been asked to keep constant vigil," Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia told reporters in Kolkata.

He said an alert has also been sounded in some districts in view of the clashes between followers of the Dera Sacha Sauda and Sikhs in Punjab.

The alert has been sounded in Burdwan, Howrah, North 24 Parganas, Kolkata and Darjeeling where Sikhs have strong presence, he said.

Maharashtra

Maharashtra has been put on high alert with security being stepped up on its rail network and in communally sensitive areas following a blast in a mosque in Hyderabad.

"The entire state is on high alert following the blast and special attention is being given to communally sensitive areas in the state like Aurangabad, Malegaon (the site of serial blasts that killed 31 in September last year) and Bhiwandi, which have a history of communal clashes," state police chief P S Pasricha told PTI.

A minor incident of stone-pelting at state-run buses was reported from the communally sensitive suburb of Kurla. Some eight to 10 people pelted stones at the buses in Kurla at 1435 hours, damaging the windows of four buses, DCP D M Phadtare said.

A team from the state's Anti-Terrorism Squad led by a DIG is expected to visit the blast site in Hyderabad to study the attack, ATS Chief K P Raghuvanshi said.

"Security around vital installations like oil refineries and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre has been increased," Mumbai Police Commissioner D N Jadhav said.

The ATS and the Special Branch of police have been asked to be extra vigilant and peace committee meetings are being held in communally sensitive areas, he said.

Phadtare said extra security cover comprising SRPF personnel had been put in place in Kurla and peace committee meetings were held to prevent untoward incidents.

Rajasthan

Security has been beefed up around the famous Sufi shrine of Khwaja Moinuddhin Chishti at Ajmer and a high alert sounded in Muslim-dominated areas of Rajasthan in the wake of the bomb attack in Hyderabad.

"Additional police have been deployed to keep a vigil on the 'dargah' of Khwaja Saheb and sensitive areas of the town following the crude bomb explosions in Hyderabad," a senior police official said.

The official said police teams were patrolling the town, asking people not to be swayed by rumours and to keep calm.

Qutaubuddhin Saki, a 'khadim' (custodian) of shrine, said devotees had offered 'Zohar ki Namaaz' (noon prayers) and the 'Ashar ki Namaaz' (evening prayers).

"People are discussing the Hyderabad incident but everything is peaceful at the shrine," he said.

A high alert had been sounded across state, particularly in Muslim pockets, and extra police contingents were deployed to maintain law and order.

Karnataka

Karnataka police stepped security and vigil in the state, particularly in the North Karnataka region, on Friday, in the wake of a bomb blast in a mosque in Hyderabad, which killed five persons.

A directive has been sent to all police officials in districts to keep vigil on movement of miscreants who create trouble and step up security to places of worship, bus station and railway station, ADGP, Shankar M Bidari said.

A strict vigil was also being maintained on vehicles and passengers entering Raichur from Andhra Pradesh, he said,
adding police patrol has been intensified in sensitive areas.

Gujarat

Gujarat was put on high alert in the wake of the bomb explosion in a mosque at Hyderabad, police said.

According to the Gujarat police, security has been tightened at the Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar, which had
been attacked by two Lashkar-e-Taibia militants in September 2002 and historic temples located in Dwarka, Somnath and Ambaji.

Vigil has also been increased in all sensitive locations in Ahmedabad, Vadodara and other cities of the state which had
witnessed communal incidents in the past, police added.