Action plan to end terrorist attacks

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, DEC. 25. The Delhi police and the Army are making arrangements to chalk out an action plan to end terrorist menace.

The liaising between the police and the Army has improved with the creation of a core group comprising the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Delhi Area, Major-General Vinod Bhanot, and Joint Commissioner of Police (Northern Range), Mr Ajay Chaddha. The two have been asked to chart a course of making Delhi Cantonment more secure.

The number of checkpoints has gone up in the Cantonment and more Military Police personnel can be seen -- albeit unarmed since terrorists have, of late, started attacking Army camps, efforts are on to prevent such an attack in Delhi Cantonment,'' said a senior officer.

Likewise, the Delhi police has also beefed up security at all its offices, especially the Police Headquarters. Also, grant of new leave has been stopped by the police till the year-end.

Since the intelligence report last week had specifically mentioned that North Block and CGO complex may be targeted, the officer said the attack on Red Fort had taken the police completely unawares.

The police have alerted security personnel stationed at all vital installations. Paramilitary forces have also been alerted and Police Control Room vans have been stationed at strategic points to reduce response time in any eventuality.

``We have also alerted the market associations about a possible attack in crowded places such as Connaught Place, Karol Bagh or Lajpat Nagar, said a police officer.

The Core Group is now trying to improve the lighting arrangements both within and around the fort.

Security reviewed

Senior Army and police officers today made a detailed inspection of the security arrangements at the Red Fort even as the Special Cell of the Delhi police, which is conducting investigations into the Red Fort attack, claimed to have questioned a large number of people.

The General-officer-Commanding-in-Chief of Delhi region, Major- General Vinod Bhanot, visited the Fort today along with the Deputy Commissioner of Police (North District), Mr. M.S. Upadhya, and reviewed the security arrangements at the complex.

The Special Commissioner of Police (Administration), Mr. R.K. Sharma, said the Delhi police has offered all help to the Army in improving the security at the Red Fort. ``We have also deputed the Joint Commissioner (Northern Range), Mr. Ajay Chaddha, to coordinate with the Army on all matters. On the other hand, the Army has assured us all help in the investigation of the case.''

The investigations had so far centred round the recoveries made by the police from within and near the Red Fort after the shooting incident. Police sources said a vital piece of evidence had been the piece of paper which was recovered from a spot, between the rear wall of the Fort and the fence erected by the Archaeological Survey of India.

The presence of shoe marks on the fort wall near this place had also more or less confirmed that the terrorists fled by scaling the wall.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell), Mr. Ashok Chand, said a number of raids have been conducted.

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