Uttarakhand police are worried with the increasing number of persons getting SIMs against forged documents or using cyber café without submitting identity cards or renting rooms in hotels without submitting identity cards.
However, IG (Ardh Kumbh) GS Martolia said that they are alert and police officers have been directed to conduct random checking at the above mentioned places to ensure that the instructions are followed by the agencies.
Such practices flouting rules are rampant in Haridwar, Dehradun and some other places in the State. Police had earlier issued adversaries, but to no avail.
However, the recent arrest of terror suspects from Roorkee, Haridwar seems to have made police more active. What is more, the quartet are supposed to have used SIM cards to communicate to those who are running the terror networks, the SIMS having been collected against forged documents.
Negligence on the part of SIM card selling outlet has made police worried. What is learnt more is that some suspected terrorists from Bangalore and other places had conducted reccee in Haridwar while staying in hotels there. Investigation also revealed that such suspects also used cyber cafés as a mode of communication through messages.
Martolia said that it is matter of concern for them. “It is not possible to check all the SIM card outlets, cyber cafes and hotels to ensure that the instructions are followed strictly. However, police are alert and advisory has been issued to them. Besides, the police officers of the rank of additional SP have been directed to conduct random checking at these places under their limits to ensure that the instructions are followed strictly and actions follow in case of violation of such instructions,” he said. Police had conducted mock drill in Haridwar district in the first week after Ardh Kumbh was started, he added.