States asked to beef up security
Suspecting that the Pakistani handlers of Lashkar-e-Tayyaba terrorist David Headley could use surveillance material and maps of potential terror targets provided by him to strike fresh terror during the Commonwealth Games, the Centre has issued a countrywide alert asking all states to beef up security.
The Union home ministry has issued separate alerts to the National Defence College, Army headquarters in the capital and asked all metro cities to tighten vigil. The ministry has asked the Delhi police to ramp up security in busy market places like Paharganj which was extensively recceed by Headley.
Government sources said that the videos of more than two dozen spots visited by Headley during his multiple visits to India, prior to the 26/11 terror attack, are still in the hands of Pakistan’s ISI and LeT, whom it believes orchestrated the Mumbai attack.
The MHA’s advisories were sent out on Sunday, the day of the opening ceremony of the CWG. In a bid to secure 36 market places where there is a high threat perception, the government has deployed an additional 12 companies of Central forces (1,200 personnel) to assist the one lakh security personnel already deployed in Delhi. The Delhi police has been asked to beef up security at Khan Market, Sarojini Nagar, Lajpat Nagar, Greater Kailash, Chandini Chowk, among others.
“The persons involved in the recent firing incident at Jama Masjid are still at large posing a concern for the security agencies,” an official said.
The home ministry has asked the Delhi police to undertake tight security checks of all two-wheelers in the capital.
Authorities in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Goa, Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Ajmer have been specifically asked to take extra precautions to guard all places where Headley had visited and did recce.
Indian intelligence agencies are closely working with Interpol to scan the persons entering the country during the Games.
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