Acting on an alert sent by the Union ministry of home affairs, the state government has directed the police to step up security near IT firms, particularly American MNCs in Cyberabad. Sources told this newspaper that the MHA had provided intelligence inputs about the possibility of terrorist groups attacking soft targets like IT firms. Intelligence reports suggested that a group of intruders, suspected to be Al Qaeda sympathisers, had sneaked into the country from the Kutch border in Gujarat.
The Centre has also warned states that the terror elements might target IT firms, in particular Microsoft, Google and Hewlett Packard. Sources said that chief secretary Pankaj Dwivedi has asked the police to review the security arrangements in IT firms. The firms will also be asked to make effective internal arrangements in addition to the arrangements being made by the police, sources added.