Security across nation tightened following Mumbai blasts

New Delhi, July 16: Security across the nation has been tightened and a strict vigil is being maintained at religious places and vital installations as Mumbaikars come to terms with life after Tuesday's devastating serial blasts in local trains in the metropolis, which claimed about 200 lives and left some 700 people injured.

A high alert has been sounded by police in different states and a close vigil is being maintained on the activities of various fundamentalist groups. Possible secret meeting places of the banned extremists and fundamentalist groups at important places of worship are being looked out for and their work places monitored.

The authorities are not taking chances and even a minor call about any threat to any important place is being taken seriously.

Security has been tightened around all strategic as well as public places like airports, ports, railway stations, bus depots, temples, malls and theatres in all states. In Mumbai, an elaborate security arrangement has been made across the city and its adjoining Thane district, Railway Police Commissioner Suresh Khopade told UNI, adding 500 additional police personnel and an equal number of home guards from Maharashtra were deployed at Churchgate, Bandra, Dadar, Vasai, Andheri, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), Kurla, Thane, Kalyan, Nerul and other stations.

Six CCTV (close circuit television) were installed at six stations, including Churchgate, Andheri, Dadar and Borivili. The railway police has also deployed 12 dog squad teams at different stations and Government Railway Police (GRP) sleuths were checking the luggage of suspected persons at major railway stations, he added.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) spokesperson Dadasaheb Shivjatak said additional forces was deployed at all the civic hospitals in the city. Security at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Aiport has also been beefed up.

Nagpur, the second capital of Maharashtra, has been put on high alert throwing a thick security cover around all sensitive and hypersensitive points in the city.

Security has been tightened mainly in and around the headquarters of Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) at Mahal.

Other important RSS places like Dr Hedgewar Smruti Mandir, Pandurang Bhawan in Rashimbaug, offices of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Rashtriya Sevika Samiti (RSS) were covered with security with deployment of additonal armed police personnel, police commissioner S P S Yadav said.

All the trains passing by Nagpur were being checked by GRP and Railway Protection Force personnel.

Nagpur Railway station has been identified as the most sensitive for terror attack and a proposal of Rs 12 lakh has been submitted to the Central Divisional Railway to install a network of closed circuit television screens, cameras and metal detectors at each platform soon as part of beefing up the security, according to RPF sources.

Gujarat ATS chief Deputy Inspector General of Police D G Vanzara told UNI the police was exploring the possibility of the explosives used in Mumbai serial blasts having been transported through the state via Kutch border from Pakistan.

Pune continues to be on high alert after the bomb blasts. Ever since the blasts, police has cordoned off entry points to the city along with nakabandis everywhere by the traffic police.

City Police Commissioner D N Jadhav told UNI that ''we are in a position to provide security cover to the entire city within 30-35 minutes of receiving a tip-off of an incident''.

In the national capital, soon after Police Commissioner K K Paul announced a state of 'high alert', 'Spotters' of the Special Cell were manning railway stations and sensitive spots in the city, dog and bomb squads rounding market places and crowded areas like shopping complexes, cinemas and big temples. At Metro stations, plain-clothed armed guards, ordered to 'shoot whenever needed', have been deployed to prevent any sabotage efforts by extremists. Besides, Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel have been deployed at all Metro stations to beef up the security apparatus, along with the already deployed seven companies of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). Also, the DMRC's central security service, which takes care of security at the stations in case of an emergency, has been activated.

With security at airports given a top priority, special equipments to detect explosives in baggage handling areas are being procured and security tightened at the airport after officials reviewed the situation with the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).

The Uttar Pradesh government has tightened the security around important religious sites, with additional security personnel deployed to deal with any contingency.

Since the attack on Ram Janmabhoomi complex and blast at Sankatmochan temple took place on a Tuesday, strict security is being kept on that day every week.

Besides, as the holy month of 'shravan' is on, security apparatus is on its toes to insure no untoward incident takes place on Monday when people offer prayers to Lord Shiva.

Punjab DGP S S Virk said Lakhanpur border near Pathankot adjoining Jammu and Kashmir has been put under special surveillance with buses, trucks and private vehicles being strictly checked.

According to the sources in state intelligence wing, the dormant Punjab militants did not seem to be having any links or liason with the terrorist outfits like SIMI and LeT suspected behind the Mumbai blasts.

Haryana DGP Nirmal Singh said apart from the regular stepped up vigil at public and religious places, special security measures have been taken in the NCR region, specially at the malls and other places in Gurgaon, where more than 50 PCRs have been added to the existing fleet.

In Jammu, security cover at the Amarnath yatra camps, the famous Raghunath temple, Vaishnodevi shrine and base camp of pilgrimage at Katra have also been increased.

The security at the Air Force base station and other defence installations have also been beefed up.

In Asom, vigil has been heightened at the Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati, following Union Home Ministry inputs that it figured among the possible targets of a terrorist attack.

Latest reports indicated that major jehadi organisations based in Bangladesh and others operating in the region were active in the region to an alarming degree. Intelligence sources informed that the state might be targeted by the jehadi terrorists, though they refused to give any details.

Orissa Director General of Police Suchit Das said security has been augmented in important temples such as Jagannath temple in Puri, Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar and Sun temple in Konark where plain-clothed policemen were deployed to keep a watch on the visitors.

Madhya Pradesh police is keeping a close vigil on the workers of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), whose senior functionary Safdar Nagauri hailed from Ujjain. Son of a retired police official, Nagauri was SIMI's General Secretary when the ban was imposed and he was absconding since then. Nagauri's close associate Aamil Pervez is currently detained at the Central Jail at Ujjain under the National Security Act. Many SIMI workers were absconding or keeping a low profile, a police official at Ujjain said.

''Police is maintaining a close watch on the SIMI'', Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) S K Raut said.

In Karnataka, South Western Railway (SWR) in association with local police have beefed up security by deploying 100 special armed forces besides 500 Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel. CCTVs with 40 cameras were installed at the Bangalore Railway station to keep a close watch.

In Mysore, the security has been intensified at important tourists spots like the Mysore Palace, Chamundi Hills and the Mysore zoo.

Additional forces had been deployed in sensitive areas and institutions like the Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) and Central Food Technological Research Institute.

Security had also been stepped up at the Atomic Power Station at Kaiga and Sea Bird Naval base at Karwar.

In Andhra Pradesh capital, the Cyberabad police has stepped up security as 350-odd multi-national software companies fall under its limits. Talking to UNI, Cyberabad Police Commissioner Mahender Reddy said they were in constant touch with the security agencies manning the software firms in their limits.

The police has launched a hunt' for suspects of Lashkar-e-Toiba and SIMI in the state in the wake of serial blasts in Mumbai.

Security has been beefed up in the Venkateswara Swamy (Balaji) temple in Tirumala, and other important temples in Chittoor district.

District Superintenent of Police V Gopal Krishna told UNI that besides the existing security force at important temples in the district, 50 additional armed police personnel were deployed at the Balaji temple in Tirumala, Sri Kalahasthiswara temple in Srikalahasti and Varasidda Vinayaka temple in Kanipakam.

The police was keeping a strict vigil at all entry and exit posts in the state, especially at the border districts of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, where vehicles were being checked.

Tamil Nadu Director General Of Police D Mukerjee pointed out that the security in the entire coastal areas of the state was also stepped up further by erecting more check-posts and watching the movement of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees housed in different camps, including a few near to the shore. He said apart from this, round the clock armed police guard was posted at the 225 feet tall and the world's tallest temple tower ('Rajagopuram') of Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple at Srirangam.

The devotees were allowed into the temples only after thorough check-up using metal detectors.

Mr Mukerjee also pointed out that security was tightened at all the 650 railway stations and additional police personnel from different parts of the state mobilised and deployed at important railway stations to check passengers and their baggage.

He said a total of 1400 GRP personnel, 1200 RPF men from various parts of the state were deployed at all important railway stations and in trains.

He said open line patrolling by Government railway policemen and RPF personnel was also intensified.

He said in Chennai Central station, 16 close circuit cameras had been installed to monitor the movement of passengers and visitors.

Arrangements had been made for round the clock functioning of control rooms at Chennai Egmore and Cental railway stations.

State Q branch police sources said the central intellligence agencies have signalled red alert to the Tamil Nadu police to keep a close watch on the possible activities of the banned local extremists outfits namely Tamil nadu Liberation Army,(TLA), Tamil Nadu Retrieval Force(TRF) and fundamentalists groups SIMI, Lashkar-e-Toiba (Let) and All India Jihad Committee (AIJC).

In Kerala, intelligence agencies had intensifed monitoring of the activities of organisations with fundamentalist leaning, official sources said. Organisations floated by those who were members of SIMI before it was banned were also being closely monitored.

According to sources, there was a well-coordinated effort to regroup SIMI activists in the state. After the Central government imposed the ban a couple of years ago, SIMI activists split into several groups. They were now working under the banner of various organisations.

The Thiruvananthapuram City Police Commissioner said foreigners and strangers staying in hotels and houses would be kept under strict observation as part of the tightened vigil.

UNI

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