‘Hello, Shekhar. We met in Delhi last year at an event at the President’s house,’ Goswami said.

‘Yes, sir, that’s correct. I was among the awardees that day,’ Shekhar said.

‘If I remember correctly, you bagged a medal for bravery? You had taken down three Pakistani terrorists during a raid at their hideout in Ramnagar in Uttarakhand two days before they were to launch a suicide attack on the state’s secretariat where the chief minister sits,’ Goswami said.

‘Correct, sir, I must appreciate your memory.’

‘What is the emergency in Pune?’ Goswami came to the point.

‘Sir, we have reliable information that the LeT is in the final stages of executing a major terrorist attack on BVP’s headquarters here, in Keshavgiri, on 11 February. They could be looking at wiping out the entire top leadership which resides there, as we know.

‘Three LeT Pakistani operatives, who are suspected of being armed with AK-47s and grenades, will attempt to break into the headquarters to kill as many as they can. If they are able to kill any big personalities, it will grab media attention globally and LeT will love that,’ Shekhar said.

‘Why BVP leaders?’

‘As you know, sir, LeT’s goal is to destroy India and kill as many Indians as they can. They want to make Muslim-dominated territories secede from India. To this end, they conduct operations all the time. For each operation, they cite a different reason. The BVP, which was under the scanner along with a clutch of other right-wing outfits for their alleged roles in the Gujarat riots, has been a target for the LeT. A hit on them could give it international publicity as well.’

‘I see,’ said Goswami, deep in thought. ‘What do you have in mind to prevent this attack?’

‘There is three-tier security around the BVP headquarters, sir. Please issue an order that from 9 to 12 February, no red beacons will be allowed on police cars. As the LeT fidayeen will be wearing police uniforms and will arrive in a sedan with a red beacon, it will be easy to spot them,’ Shekhar said.

‘Done. What else?’

‘From Sadashiv Patel Marg in central Pune, a narrow 250-metre road, Deeksha Marg, splits off to the left. At the end of Deeksha Marg lies Himalaya Bhavan. The complex’s entrance must be protected by commandos from the Swift Reaction Team of Maharashtra ATCS, to strengthen the deployed police personnel in outer layers. The security team must not allow any cars inside the Himalaya Bhavan campus, and all visitors must be frisked and put through metal detectors,’ Shekhar said.