Delhi police taking all steps to ensure security in city

New Delhi, Dec 17: Delhi Police is taking all the necessary steps to ensure security in the national capital in the wake of the recent terror strikes in Peshawar and Sydney.

Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi assured that the city is safe and his force is on a high alert to thwart any possible eventuality.

"Delhi Police always keeps the surrounding environment in mind and we are totally alert and necessary steps are being taken," said Bassi.

Asked about the specific instructions given to school authorities in this regard, Bassi said that necessary instructions to whoever concerned have been given.

Sources said that the police chief along with other senior Delhi Police officials attended a meeting at Home Ministry in the afternoon where they briefed ministry officials about security arrangements at important installations in the city including schools, 5 star hotels, malls, cafes among others.

Delhi Police has already issued a set of guidelines to schools and colleges and SHOs today visited education institutes in their jurisdiction areas and met authorities to discuss security measures. In the guidelines issued to the educational institutions, they were asked to keep their gates shut when they have students inside, deploy guards and allow entry to people only after proper verification.

PCR vans have been positioned close to prominent schools and colleges in the city and beat constables will also patrol the area.

"It was a café in Sydney and a school in Peshawar. Terrorists may target anything at any place. We are not taking chances and security has been tightened at all important installations like schools, colleges, embassies, metro stations, 5 star hotels, crowded markets in south and central Delhi, airport, malls, cafes among others," said a senior police official.

A heightened security was visible in the city today with SWAT teams positioned outside important installations. Several quick reaction team (QRT) and quick response vehicle (QRV) have been asked to remain on standby to deal with any eventuality.

As it was an army-run school which was attacked in Peshawar, army schools in the city and those in the Cantonment and diplomatic enclave of Chanakyapuri have been given a specific security cover, he said.

Delhi Police had heightened security at schools and colleges in the national capital yesterday in the wake of a brutal terror attack in an army-run school at Peshwar in Pakistan in which more than 140 people, mostly children were killed.

Delhi Police top brass has asked all district DCsP to take enhanced security measures at schools and colleges under their jurisdiction area. We have also made an elaborate plan under which mobile hit teams and SWAT will be deployed at strategic locations who can reach such installations within five minutes in case of any untoward incident.

Vigil had already been heightened in the national capital Monday especially at public places like malls, in the wake of the hostage crisis in Australia's Sydney.

According to a senior police official, security was stepped up in popular malls and areas which have clusters of cafes and restaurants yesterday as it was a popular café which was targeted in Sydney.

Delhi Police has already been keeping a heightened vigil after a red alert was sounded in the city on December 5 over intelligence inputs of a possible terror strike.

The force is on its toes these days ahead of Christmas and New Year which would be followed by the visit of US President Barack Obama to India.

The presence of Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with a host of dignitaries at the Republic Day parade is going to be a never-before high-stakes event for security agencies.

PTI