Security lapse? Look, there is no security

On July 5, five heavily-armed terrorists drove into Ayodhya past at least five checkpoints in the first cordon of security and blew up their...

On July 5, five heavily-armed terrorists drove into Ayodhya past at least five checkpoints in the first cordon of security and blew up their jeep to enter the second cordon, 100 metres from the make-shift Ram temple.

This morning, exactly at the same time the terrorists entered the complex on July 5, The Sunday Express team drove right up to the blast site without being checked even once.

There are two main ways to approach the Ramjanmabhoomi complex. The terrorists chose the less guarded one. We too decided to take the same one.

They came in a hired Marshall sporting a local number. Our hired Indica also had a local number, tinted glasses rolled up and sported no Press sticker.

9:15 am:

First checkpoint: The entrance to Ayodhya. Locals tell us that there used to be a police checkpoint here till last year. Today, the checkpoint lies demolished. There are no policemen guarding the entrance. We drive through.

Second checkpoint: This is where the road splits. One is the highway going towards the main entrance. The other is the road the terrorists took. We find a huge barricade there, unmanned. We drive through and on our left is the Ramjanmabhoomi Police station. There is no policeman at the gate of the police station. We drive through.

The third checkpoint: This is where the actual boundary of the 67-acre complex begins. There is a PAC camp and another huge barricade here. Locals tell us that the PAC used to issue passes for entry and would check each vehicle and frisk each outsider. There are a few PAC men at the barricade who just stare at our car, and there are some others buying clothes from a hawker.

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The fourth checkpoint: It is manned by the PAC and local police. From here, a small pathway leads to the make-shift temple. No one bothers to stop us here as well.

The fifth checkpoint: We turn right and there is another huge barricade. This too is unmanned. We drive through.

Barely 50 metres down the road, we reach the spot where the terrorists engineered the blast. Parking their jeep near the iron railings here, they blew it up, breaching the railings and slipped inside. We park our car there, take a photograph. Two local policemen inside stare at us, reluctantly come forward as we take a U-turn and drive back. No one stops us on our way back.

9:30 am: We return to the Ayodhya entrance.

When told about The Indian Express team8217;s unchecked journey through the first cordon of security, SSP Faizabad Avinash Chander said: 8216;8216;Now that you have pointed this out to me, I will take strong action. Policemen should be on utmost vigil there and no vehicle should be allowed to drive past without checking. Hum is security ko aur mazboot kardenge. I have taken your observation in the right spirit,8217;8217; Chander said.