Indian Internal Security - 3

[ramana]

From Deccan Chronicle, 27 August 2007 after the Hyd Blasts

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Patil warns of more attacks
Hyderabad, Aug. 26: Union home minister Shivraj Patil on Sunday warned of similar terror attacks in Hyderabad in future also. The Minister made this observation at a high-level review meeting in the Secretariat on the twin blasts. <b>According to official sources, he cautioned that Hyderabad and Bangalore were high on the target list of terrorists because of their economic buoyancy, thanks to their ability to attract foreign investments. Other cities in their priority list are Delhi and Mumbai, he added.</b>  Mr Patil, who flew down to the city in the afternoon, visited the blast sites at Lumbini Park and Gokul Chat and met the injured at Care Hospital.

Sources said the <b>Union minister </b>also categorically <b>told the State government to develop its own intelligence network on the lines of Greyhounds, a specialised force to tackle Naxal activities.</b> His directions attain significance in the wake of Chief Minister Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy’s earlier announcement that the role of State police or local intelligence networks in detecting the terror plots was very minimal. “The Saturday’s blasts shall be an eye opener for the State. This is the right time to act,” he pointed out.

<b>The Union minister, however, turned down State home minister K. Jana Reddy’s proposal to announce the setting up of an expert committee to work out the modalities of developing counter intelligence networks.</b> Appreciating the success achieved by <b>the Greyhounds </b>in controlling Naxal operations, <b>he said the force, however, was limited to rural areas and a similar mechanism should be developed to handle terror groups.</b>

<b>Mr Patil said the Centre would extend all possible help in training the personnel and provide with vital information and technology. He said the wing should be given budgetary support to procure the latest technologies and weapons.</b>


<b>Anti-sabotage wing is headless </b>
Hyderabad, Aug. 26: Sleeper cells of terror outfits in the city are becoming active day by day and are carrying out terror activities, as departments like <b>Special Branch and City Security Wing (CSW) involved in tackling terror groups, have become literally defunct</b>. Various reasons including cases ending up in acquittal, no tracking down of accused in old cases, no efforts to revitalise <b>City Security Wing</b>, the key agency to carry out anti-sabotage activities which is being neglected and the lack of a full-time chief after deputy commissioner of police Shiva Prasad was shifted to North Zone make it easy for the anti-social elements to function fearlessly in the city. Mr Shiva Prasad is holding an additional charge as DCP of the CSW. The wing that takes up VIP security is neglecting the security at public places.

On other hand, <b>Special Branch of the city police is being overburdened with passport enquires and is unable to carry out the intelligence works that they are supposed to.</b> “The proposed anti-terrorist cell in the city police failed to take off. <b>Officials of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that deals with terror and communal cases are confined to attending court cases,” </b>said a senior police official. <b>An accused in a case, earlier arrested by the city police, said that the terror sleeper cells containing trained terrorists were in the city and most of them were from Bangladesh.</b>

<b>The conviction rate in the ISI cases is less then 50 per cent and in most cases they are acquitted due to the lapses in the investigation and in filing charge sheets. There are at least 70 terror suspects in the city so far out of which 39 are present and are appearing before the police. “At least, 19 are cooling their heels in jail and three are abroad and nine are absconding,” </b>said the official. An Intelligence Bureau official said, “There was an alert for August 15th that vital structures like Charminar and Secretariat would be targeted by terrorists. We kept watch for two days. But, there was no fresh alert for this.”


<b>Security gadgets made must for theatres, malls </b>
Hyderabad, Aug. 26: <b>In the wake of Saturday’s twin blasts here, the police has decided to temporarily close down cinema halls in the city that do not have metal detectors and other security equipment. Crowded commercial establishments including malls, theatres, eateries, pubs, and amusement parks not complying with the specifications also face closure till they install the equipment.</b> Police said almost 90 per cent of cinema theatres do not have security equipment. Only theatres like Prasad’s I-Max, PVR and a few theatres in the central RTC crossroads have doorframe metal detectors in place.  <b>Notices have already been sent to the theatre managements. Next in line are malls on which a decision is likely to be taken on Monday.</b>

The top brass of the department who convened a meeting on Sunday are working out modalities including what equipment is to be installed and the time to be given to the managements acquire the equipment. <b> “Doorframe metal detectors will be installed to screen all persons entering the cinema halls and they should be frisked with hand-held metal detectors. Visitors should not be allowed to bring baggage to the theatres,”</b> said city police commissioner Balwinder Singh. He added that no theatre could run shows from Sunday unless security arrangements are in place. 

The fast approaching festival season and increasing terror threat is putting the police and the government to the acid test.   “We have requested the managements several times to install security equipment.  <b>“Most malls do not even emergency exits for public to escape in case of attacks or emergencies,” </b>said a senior police official.  He added that the police has decided to get tough with them till they make proper security arrangements.

“Such places cannot operate at the risk of public safety, they will be asked to down their shutters.” Meanwhile, security has been beefed up in important installations, including the airport, railway and bus stations, Secretariat and tourists spots.  Following the red alert in the State, tourist places including Charminar and Necklace Road remained closed throughout the day.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->