It was only late last year that India’s terrorised urban classes first heard the name Indian Mujahideen. Last November, the group sent an e-mail to media organisations – just before a series of bombings hit the northern state of Uttar Pradesh – claiming responsibility for the attacks.

These punctual e-mails, which typically arrive either just before or after a blast, have become the trademark of the group and have lent credibility to its claims of masterminding what has been one of India’s longest sustained series of terrorist attacks.