Hyd blasts: SIT probes calls to Pak, Bangla

Hyderabad, Sep 4: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Andhra Pradesh Police, probing the August 25 twin blasts in which 43 people were killed is gathering information about calls made from here to Pakistan and Bangladesh for three days after the terror strikes.

According to police sources, 35 calls were made to Pakistan and Bangladesh during the period. While 25 calls were throngh cellphones, ten were made from telephone booths.

SIT was processing the information received from service providers about all these calls and was checking the antecedents of the callers.

Police have instructed management of star hotels, cinema theatres, shopping malls and other large business establishments to install metal detectors and frisk every person entering the premises. Most of the establishments had already complied with the instructions.

However, in star hotels, frisking was not done as it would embarass the customers. But every vehicle entering the hotels were being halted at the entry point and thoroughly checked. The numbers of the vehicles noted down were being scrutinised by SIT sleuths every evening.

Cigarettes and matches were not being allowed into all big establishments. Persons moving about under suspicious circumstances on roads were being questioned and searched.

Vehicles entering the city were also being thoroughly checked.

Security has been beefed up at vital installations and places of worship.

Heavy security has been provided to Krishna temple of Iscon in the busy Abids area of the city in view of the Janmastami festival today.

UNI