A high alert was sounded in the national Capital following the twin blasts at Chennai Central Railway Station. The Control Room of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) received a call stating there would be a bomb blast at any Metro station.
This prompted the CISF to mobilise additional reinforcements; checking was intensified. CISF forwarded the details of the phone number to the Delhi Police to identify the caller and take preemptive action. Meanwhile, security at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport was further beefed up with CISF tightening access to the airport and deployed more Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs). The call later turned out to be hoax.
Soon after getting the call, CISF, Delhi Police and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) officials swung into action and initiated anti-sabotage measures. Metro stations and trains were checked with a fine-toothed comb but nothing suspicious was found. When the number was traced and investigators reached the address given, the address was found to be fake.
According to the information, an unknown caller called up CISF Control Room around 10.15 am on Thursday saying blasts would rip through a Metro station. This triggered a flurry of activity across all city Metro stations. CISF augmented personnel and kept an eagle eye on entry/exit points at all Metro stations. Passengers were put through the rigors of frisking and spotters were deployed to keep an eye on any suspicious movement. An official said the arrangement would stay for some time before security at stations is reviewed afresh.
Not willing to take chances, the Delhi Police beefed up security in the national Capital after the twin bomb blasts in two coaches in a Bangalore-Guwahati train at Chennai Central Railway Station in which a woman was killed and 14 others were injured. “Security has been beefed up at crowded and important places like railway stations, bus stations, markets,” Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said. He, however, clarified it is not a situation of red alert.
“A red alert is sounded in case there is any specific Intelligence input, which is not the case here. Additional security measures have been taken only as a precautionary step,” he clarified.
Meanwhile, in a related development, the CISF issued a nationwide alert across all domestic and international airports in the country to step up security in the wake of the Chennai blasts. The CISF headquarters at CGO Complex issued orders asking all Airport Security Groups (ASGs) at 59 airports to tighten access control, enhance quick reaction teams and undertake multiple screening of suspect passengers.
Anti-sabotage teams were deployed at all the large and small airports, which have been asked to conduct surprise drills in and around the ‘air side’ and ‘terminal side’ of these facilities even as the Intelligence wing of the force has been asked to keep a check on suspect passengers and people moving around the area. The CISF is the mandated security force that secures 59 civil airports in the country.