No checks: security terminates at ISBTs

Sarai Kale Khan Inter-State Bus Terminus in South Delhi has at least 1,500 persons within its premises. Amid the milling crowd the absence of policemen, in and around the bus station, is stark, keeping in mind it8217;s just four days since serial blasts ripped apart the Capital.

11 am
Sarai Kale Khan Inter-State Bus Terminus ISBT in South Delhi has at least 1,500 persons within its premises. Waiting to catch a bus connecting the Capital with several states 8212; Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan 8212; as also DTC buses on some city routes.

Amid the milling crowd the absence of policemen, in and around the bus station, is stark, keeping in mind it8217;s just four days since serial blasts ripped apart the Capital. There is neither any CCTV camera nor any door frame metal detector installed in the terminus.

Entry and exit are a free for all.

Radheshyam Khokhar, about to take a bus to Rewari in Haryana, says, 8220;I was not checked, my bags were not frisked, and I could not see a single policeman anywhere.8221;

It8217;s just before noon, and private security guards man the entry points as cops at the police post sip chai. 8220;The security will be beefed up soon,8221; a policeman says.

DCP South H G S Dhaliwal could not be contacted for his comments on the post-blast bandobast, or the apparent lack of it.

12 noon
There are close to 2,000 people at Anand Vihar ISBT in East Delhi. This terminus caters to many routes of UP, Uttarakhand and many city routes of DTC.

The CCTV cameras are all out of order here. There is, however, a good presence of policemen in and around the ISBT; the door frame metal detectors, too, are working. There is no frisking, and baggage is never scanned.

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8220;We have had a meeting with all bus drivers and people who work in and around this ISBT. They have been briefed about identifying suspicious packets and other such issues,8221; DCP East Ajay Chaudhary says. As for baggage scanners, Chaudhary says, 8220;We will procure them if requirement arises.8221;

He adds that continuous 8220;announcements are being made through speakers installed at the ISBT8221;.

1 pm
Kashmere Gate ISBT is the Capital8217;s largest, oldest and busiest bus terminus. There are more than 3,000 people, waiting for buses to all north Indian states 8212; Haryana, UP, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Jammu 038; Kashmir, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh.

The door frame metal detectors are up at all entry and points points, and there is a good presence of the men in khaki and private security guards.

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No one, though, is frisked; no bag is checked. A guard at one of the entry points says they 8220;do frisk people and check their bags, sometimes8221;.

DCP North Sagarpreet Huda says, 8220;All the CCTV cameras are functional and there are constant announcements for public awareness.8221;