UP on alert after ‘LeT letter’ threatens to blow up Kashi temples, railway stations

In a letter sent to the Northern Railways last month, the area commander of the LeT threatened to attack several locations, including the Saharanpur station.

india Updated: Jun 06, 2018 14:22 IST

A letter purportedly written by LeT commander Maulana Ambu Shaikh threatens to target temples such as the Krishna Janamsthan temple in Mathura (pictured here) and the Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi. (File Photo)

Police in Uttar Pradesh have increased security at major railway stations and two religious places after a letter purpotedly written by a Pakistani terrorist warned of attacks on Wednesday and later this week.

The letter to the divisional railway manager of North Railways in Delhi on June 1 was sent by Maulana Ambu Sheikh, the self-styled area commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistani terrorist group blamed for carrying out the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

A polic alert said Lashkar may target railways stations in Saharanpur, Hapur and other railway stations on June 6. Religious places like the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi and Krishna Janmbhoomi in Mathura could be targeted between June 8 and 10, the police warned.

District police chiefs have been alerted about the threat, said Anand Kumar, additional director general of police, law and order. He said the letter seems to be a prank but could not be taken lightly.