After threat input,security forces raise vigil

The Delhi Police will deploy mobile hit teams,anti-aircraft guns,Quick Reaction Teams and sharpshooters of the National Security Guard at various places,while paramilitary and Delhi Police commandos will be keeping a close watch along the route of the Republic Day parade.

“Snipers will be deployed at high-rise buildings and a multi-layer security ring will be put in place at Rajpath,where President Pratibha Patil will unfurl the Tricolour and view the marching contingents,” a police officer said.

President of South Korea Lee Myung-bak is the chief guest at this year’s celebrations,which will also be attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the country’s top political and military brass.

The Delhi Police is also patrolling crowded markets,checking and frisking passengers at Metro stations,railway stations,bus terminals,guest houses,hotels and cyber cafes. Security at the IGI Airport has also been beefed up in coordination with the Central Industrial Security Force,he said.

“Metro services will be available only after 12 noon on January 26. Trains from Dwarka will terminate at the Barakhamba station,while those from Jahangirpuri will terminate at Rajiv Chowk. Trains from Anand Vihar will ply till the Yamuna Bank station,while those from Noida will terminate at the Indraprashta station,” Satyendra Garg,Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic),said.

All property dealers and second-hand car dealers have been asked to furnish details of recent deals,especially of customers from outside the state.

Heavy arrangements have been made in view of inputs from intelligence agencies about possible attacks on VIPs. Newsline accessed the ‘Threat Perception’ report published for the Delhi Police office on Republic Day arrangements.

The alert,provided recently by the Intelligence Bureau,has been passed on to all the units and officers of the Delhi Police involved in the security arrangements for Republic Day. The police have cautioned all its men — a force of 70,000 officers— and units like the Special Cell and the Special Branch,to keep a tab on movement of suspected militants in the city on January 26.

According to the alert,terror outfits like Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Toiba have reportedly joined hands for possible attacks on Republic Day; their modules are already present in the Jammu and Kashmir valley.

The intelligence also warns of a possible attack on Chabad House in Paharganj (a community home visited by backpackers from Israel) and the National Defence Academy in Delhi.

Several teams of the Special Cell,along with IB officers,have been on the lookout of possible routes that can be used by militants to enter the Capital,as well as abandoned cars in the Capital that might have been used for entry.