September 04, 2007	Tuesday	Sha'aban 21, 1428

NEW DELHI, Sept 3: India’s Intelligence Bureau has cautioned the county’s state governments to watch out for terror plots in the coming days as a string of Hindu festivals look poised to keep sleuths on their toes, a federal home ministry official said on Monday.

The announcement came amid reports of the arrest by Bangladesh police of a man wanted for a string of deadly blasts in the southern city of Hyderabad. Dozens of civilians were killed in two separate attacks within five minutes of each other.

The country celebrates the festival of Janmashtami on Tuesday, marking the birthday of Lord Krishna, one of the most popular deities in the country. This would be followed by Ganesh Chaturthi later in the month. Though a largely Maharashtrian festival that celebrates the elephant god Ganesh, it is now more widely observed across the country.

“With the Intelligence Bureau cautioning that some foreign-based terrorist elements may foment trouble in the coming days, the Centre has alerted all states to keep a tight vigil, especially during the festivals, and monitor crowded places,” Press Trust of India said, quoting officials.

Accordingly state police forces have been asked to keep a surveillance at religious places and around crowded places like shopping malls.

Mathura, the birthplace of Lord Krishna, is under a tight police cover for the festivities since hundreds of thousand devotees are expected to converge in the temple town on Tuesday. PTI said that Bangladesh police has detained the alleged mastermind in the blasts.

The news agency quoted sources in Indian security agencies as claimingthat Bangladesh informed them of the arrest of Mohammad Sharifuddin, said to be an operative of the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami of Bangladesh.

He was among the two persons, who had been identified by the security agencies and police, suspected to have plan-ted the bombs that went off in Hyderabad on Aug 24 killing more than 40 people and scores injured.