By IANS
Kolkata : An email received by a New Delhi-based news channel threatening to trigger explosions during the second India-Pakistan Test match here caused a flutter Monday. Kolkata Police said it was beefing up security measures to prevent any untoward incident.
While city Police Commissioner Gautam Mohon Chakraborty denied that police had “received” any email threatening the Pakistani team, he said that the police had “obtained a copy” of the mail from the news channel.
“We have received no such email threat from anywhere regarding any attack on the Pakistani team during the Eden Test (beginning Nov 30). TV channels might have received such things but not Kolkata Police,” Chakraborty told IANS Monday night.
He denied reports that the mail was forwarded to them by the news channel.
However, Deputy Commissioner (Headquarters) Vineet Goel said: “We have only heard about the email. We will take all pre-emptive measures, like beefing up security at the team hotel and at all entry points. The Pakistan team arrives as per schedule Tuesday.”
The Kolkata Police and the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) authorities went into a tizzy over reports of the email sent to India TV news channel.
CAB president and former Kolkata police commissioner Prasun Mukherjee said: “The CAB has not been informed about this email so far.”
“We have not been informed about this. I really know nothing about it. But on the basis of what we have heard from the press we have asked our internal security to be on alert,” Mukherjee told IANS.
“We have closed all the gates of CAB and asked the contractor to identify his workers and the luggage they are carrying. No goods are being allowed to be kept under the galleries,” Mukherjee said.
According to TV reports, the mail was sent from a yahoo mail account (yes[email protected]) Monday.
The Kolkata Police top brass held an emergency meeting at the city police headquarters in Lalbazar after news of the mail spread.
Security was tightened at Delhi’s Feroze Shah Kotla Stadium during the first Test after an email threat targeting the visiting team was reported by media.