Security agencies suspect that terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda is trying to create disruption during Rajasthan Assembly election. Rajasthan goes to polls on December 7 for all 200 assembly seats.
Informed sources have told media that Al-Qaeda commander Zakir Musa and his accomplices were spotted recently in Amritsar, Punjab.
According to sources, a public rally during Rajasthan Assembly election may be the target of the Al-Qaeda group.
The security agencies trailing Zakir Musa and his gang suspect that the Al-Qaeda men might have crossed the Rajasthan border after security was beefed up in Punjab. Zakir Musa is believed to have taken a route from Ferozpur, the border district of Punjab to Rajasthan.
Both Rajasthan and Punjab share boundaries with Pakistan – 1090 km and 553 km respectively. BSF officials, say the sources, have already alerted the officers, who head its various border outposts by sharing the snatched vehicle registration number and photographs of Zakir Musa.
Security has been tightened along Punjab -Rajasthan border and the vehicles passing on this route are being thoroughly checked. CCTV footage of toll plazas located on the route are being examined.
Police teams have also raided several places connected with suspected drug smugglers in Punjab. Drug smugglers have been used by terror groups to carry out attacks in the past. They are also believed to be part of the network that facilitate smuggling of illegal weapon and narcotics from across border.
Certain colleges, particularly a few engineering colleges in Punjab are on the radar of the police. Their hostels are under the scanner of Punjab police.
Meanwhile, Punjab police have said that snatching of a vehicle by unknown men and spotting of Zakir Musa are not related incidents.
However, speculation is rife in security agencies that the car snatching incident reported in Pathankot and spotting of Zakir Musa in Amritsar may be connected.
Entire Punjab has been put on high alert after these two incidents. But, officially, Punjab police said that these are two separate unrelated incidents.
“The Pathankot car snatching incident and Zakir Musa’s presence in Punjab are separate incidents. The police are already on a high alert and keeping a strict vigil on all the activities. One should not co-relate these incidents,” said Gurdaspur SSP Swarndeep Singh.
“Zakir Musa’s alert was sounded a fortnight back and his posters were also seen. No new posters have been found thereafter,” he said.
