With just over a week left for Republic Day celebrations, the deployment of security personnel to vulnerable places like markets, railway and Metro stations, VIP areas and others has been heightened b
With just over a week left for Republic Day celebrations, the deployment of security personnel to vulnerable places like markets, railway and Metro stations, VIP areas and others has been heightened by the security agencies. Besides the Delhi police, officials from the paramilitary can be seen taking rounds of market places across the city.
A high-level meeting chaired by Delhi police commissioner Bhim Sain Bassi also took place in view of the security arrangements for January 26. Highly placed sources said that all possible measures are being taken into consideration in view of heightened threat perception of a terrorist attack in the city. All station house offices (SHOs) and other officials are being briefed on the threat from terror organisation Islamic State (IS). “A case was filed by the special cell of the Delhi police in June against IS, first ever FIR against the terror outfit, after central security agencies tipped the Delhi police of a possible strike by them,” a senior police officer said, adding, “We have started explaining the situation to our officers to ensure that all measures are taken to ensure peaceful Republic Day celebrations.”
Sources added that meetings with special cell sleuths are constantly been taking place and the mechanism for flow of threat inputs from anti-terrorism units to local police is being strengthened. “The special cell is a dedicated anti-terrorism unit of the Delhi po-lice,” said the senior po-lice officer, adding, “We have urged its officers to take regular meetings to inform the local police of possible threats.”
Besides, the cops added: “All SHOs have been asked to start patrolling their areas frequently and sensitise all vulnerable spots, especially markets, railways stations, VIP areas and so on.”
Sources added that DCPs have also been asked by the top brass to leave their offices and visit vulnerable spots in their jurisdictions to boost morale of the policemen. “We are deploying extra policemen to crowded places,” said the cops.
