Alqaeda issues letter,'Release 2 terrorists or we will blow up Hanuman Temple'

Lucknow: Utttar Pradesh police was investigating a threat letter to blow up Aliganj Hanuman Temple in Lucknow if two suspected terrorists arrested by ATS were not released by August 14 next.

A threatening letter has been sent to the state capital Aliganj Hanuman temple to release two terrorists of the Al Qaeda-backed organization, who were caught by Uttar Pradesh ATS from Dubbaga in Kakori area of ??Lucknow by August 14.

The letter sent by registered post has clearly written that if both the terrorists are not released by August 14, the consequences will be bad.

The sender of this threatening letter has written his name as Joginder Singh Khadra. He has described himself as a supporter of Jihad. The name of the sender of the registered letter is written Joginder Singh, Khadra Madeeganj.

On receiving information about the threat, the crime branch including ATS is engaged in the investigation.

Not only this, the letter also threatened to target some offices of the RSS.The RSS office and senior functionaries of the organization have also been threatened.Mr Anil Tiwari, Chief Administrative Officer of the Hanuman Mandir, Aliganj here told reporters that after receiving the letter, he has informed the police.

" Now the police has been asked to tighten the security here as well as investigate the matter of the letter. In view of the sensitivity of the matter, additional police have been deployed on the spot," he said.

Along with this, teams of ATS and Crime Branch have started investigation. The search operation is going on in the temple premises too.

UP ATS arrested Minhaj and Mashiruddin, of Al Qaeda's terrorist model on July 11. After taking them on remand, some of their associates were also nabbed. These two arrested were reportedly getting instructions through handlers sitting in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Now the investigation was handed over to the NIA after Ministry of Home Affairs gave its approval for the case transfer.

This terrorist organization was reportedly engaged in the preparation of serial blasts on Independence Day in several parts of the state.(UNI)