Wednesday 24 / April / 2024
New Delhi: Security agencies went into a tizzy after the police control room received a call about a bomb at the Parliament premises on Tueday evening but it turned to be hoax and the caller was tracked down at a northeast Delhi area.
"It was a hoax call and we have tracked down the caller, who is a resident of Jyoti Nagar area. The motive behind the act hasn't been ascertained yet. The caller is being brought to the Parliament Street police station, where he will be questioned," DCP (New Delhi) Jatin Narwal said, adding that the caller may have to face legal action too.
A senior official said that once the caller is brought to the police station, he is likely to be taken to RML hospital for a mental check up. The police did not reveal the caller's identity citing security concerns. Several police teams, along with bomb disposal squads, were rushed near Parliament and it was at 6.12pm that the fire department was alerted, following which fire tenders were rushed there too, said police and fire officials.
The national capital is on a high alert and security was already stepped up following the terror attack at Pathankot and then inputs received by the police about the presence of two suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad key members here. Delhi Police Commissioner held a meeting with all deputy commissioners and discussed security concerns in details earlier on Tuesday, a police source said.
The directive has come after intelligence inputs suggested that there could be 6 to 10 Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists who had crossed over to India from across the border through Punjab in recent past.
Sources said six suspected JeM terrorists were killed in the Pathankot air base after three days of fierce gun battle, but there is a possibility of a few remaining at large.
Besides, according to a Punjab Police input, there could 15 terrorists who have breached the International Border and had entered India.
"Based on all these inputs, the Delhi Police has been asked to remain on high alert till the Republic Day as its main function will be held in the national capital. We don't want to take any chance on any input," a source said.
French President Francois Hollande will be the chief guest at the January 26 event to be held on capital's majestic Rajpath.
Security has been beefed up in Delhi's IGI airport after another input suggested that terrorists may try to create a hostage-like situation.
Both domestic and international flights have been asked to upgrade the scale of security, with some passengers being made to undergo 'secondary ladder checking' in some flights.
A 'secondary ladder checking' is conducted just when the passenger is about to enter the aircraft with an aim to ensure that he is not carrying any weapon or chemical.
Staff of several airlines have been sensitised about the alert, asking them to report any suspicious movement or object.
The Central Industrial Security Force, which guards the high-valued installation, has been asked to maintain extra vigil with the deployment of additional personnel.
It October 2015, security forces went into a tizzy after they spotted a flying object, an UAV, on the outer periphery of the airport.
In December 2015, Delhi was put on high alert after Delhi Police registered an FIR regarding a possible terror strike by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group.
