Varanasi, Mar 2 (UNI) Security has been stepped up in the holy city following the receipt of a letter purportedly sent by terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba, which has threatened to wreak havoc on Holi in Varanasi and Lucknow.

The hand-written inland letter received by the alumni cell of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) last evening has allegedly been authored by an LeT operative of Jammu.

''The letter contains specific threat of wreaking havoc on Holi -- March 4 -- at the blast-hit Sankatmochan temple and Varanasi Cantonment railway station, besides Kashi Vishwanath temple and BHU Vishwanath temple here,'' BHU chief proctor S K Singh told UNI here today.

The letter further states Lucknow railway station is also an LeT target on Holi. Besides, the letter also threatens to trigger blast at the Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya on Ram Navami to be followed with another blast at Mathura, Mr Singh informed.

The letter ends with 'Jehad Zinda Hai' (Jehad is alive) followed by 'LeT operative Jammu'.

''The letter has been handed over to the district police,'' he added.

Incidentally, two LeT terrorists had escaped from police custody on February 27 from Lucknow district court premises.

Confirming the receipt of the letter, SSP Sujit Pandey said, ''We are not considering it a Holi prank. The matter has been taken seriously and security has been beefed up at all sensitive places, including Sankatmochan and Kashi Vishwanath temples. Investigations are underway in the matter.'' The letter received by the BHU administration assumes significance, since on March 7 last year two powerful blasts had rocked the Sankatmochan temple and Varanasi Cantonment railway station here within a span of 15 minutes, killing 18 people and wounding over 100 others.

UNI