RAW ‘set up’ by Pak intel?
A few days ago the Intelligence Bureau had issued an alert, on the basis of inputs given by RAW, that five terrorists had sneaked into India to target vital installations in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Punjab. The intelligence agency had also released photographs of the suspects. But subsequently it was learnt that three of these five suspects — Atif Bhatt, Mehtab Bhatt and Baber Shabbir — are actually present in Lahore where two were businessmen and the third a security guard.
According to highly placed sources involved in probing this intelligence goof-up, the tip-off was based on “human intelligence” that came from Pakistan. But apparently “RAW’s source was relatively new and his credibility had not been tested in the past”, the probe reveals.
“Though the source was fairly important, it is now learnt that his credibility had not been tested in the past. From all possible accounts the source planted wrong information on RAW which is turning out to be an embarrassment now,” a top intelligence official said. Sources in RAW, however, continue to maintain that the information was “highly credible” and though the three suspects may be in Lahore, their terror links cannot be doubted.
Even while various agencies were analysing the RAW input on this specific terror alert, IB’s Multi-Agency Centre had red-flagged the information. But it seems the external intelligence agency was very sure about its tip-off and asked IB to go ahead with sensitising the concerned states over the terror alert.
A blame game has started among various agencies over the goof-up as it is likely to come up during the India-Pakistan home-secretary-level talks scheduled for later this month. “The possibility of wrong information being planted on RAW causing embarrassment to India in the runup to home-secretary-level talks cannot be ruled out,” the official remarked. The government is already working on a stringent system of checks and balances.
before putting out terror alerts so that such incidents can be avoided.
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