Kochi metro: Survey triggers security scare
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A row has erupted over a survey being conducted by the Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) and a probe is being initiated into the activities of Genesis, an agency appointed by it for the Kochi Metro Alignment Survey.
According to the SP, Internal Security, J. Jayanth, Genesis is actually working for Google Street View which was banned in Bengaluru in June 2011 when it began such a survey. This was done close on the heels of a similar ban across various countries citing security concerns.
However, KMRL officials are intrigued by the SP’s stand, and said the survey was undertaken with the prior permission of the Kochi city police commissioner.
The issue came to the fore after Jayanth seized a vehicle owned by Genesis here on August 1. After questioning the vehicle crew, he found that the survey authorization letter produced by Genesis had “no validity” as it was signed by some official of the KMRL.
The crew maintained that the video was being made for the Metro alignment survey. Police disagreed, and seized all the videos captured by them.
Jayanath said the matter was being taken up at the highest level of DGP Jacob Punnose.
Jayanath said, “The Genesis team was conducting their operations without following the norms. Before conducting a survey, it should have intimated the traffic police station in the area.” The vehicle seized was of Maharashtra registration.
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