Security beefed up in Uttarakhand ahead of Independence Day

Dehra Dun, Aug 13 (UNI) With Independence Day just a day away, the Uttarakhand Police have stepped up the security to thwart any untoward incident after several threats to disrupt normal life in the state were received.

Security has been tightened primarily in Dehra Dun, Hardwar and Rishikesh, as they have been identified as sensitive areas.

In Dehra Dun, the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Raj Bhawan and Cantt areas were put on a high alert.

Security in the celestial town of Hardwar has also been beefed up following three letters allegedly sent by the JeM terrorist oufit to different station masters warning of blasts at vital installations in the district.

Talking to UNI today, IG Garhwal Ashok Kumar said police was on vigil to thwart any untoward incident and though the level of threat was high, the city was calm.

He said the threats were usually high near Independence Day but this year the police were keeping extra vigil near railway stations and other vital installations in the wake of the back-to-back blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad.

As a security measure, the general public was asked to alert the police on any suspicious activity, he said.

Instances of police arresting people on fabricated identities have not gone unnoticed. Earlier this month, seven Hindu-Pakistani's were arrested after failing to produce a valid visa. They had allegedly forged their identities in a hotel register at Hardwar.

As reported earlier, a special investigating team with the STF in-charge had been set up to monitor security in the state and the ITBP and SSB were keeping vigil along the long border of the state.

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