After IB input, police tighten security near religious sites, crowded places

Mumbai is on high alert for a possible terror attack, with increased security checks at crowded areas and religious sites following an IB warning.

MUMBAI: The city is on high alert about a possible terror attack following a forewarning to the Mumbai police from the Intelligence Bureau (IB). The police have carried out security checks and mock drills at religious sites and crowded areas, and the authorities of all religious places have been asked to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities as a precautionary measure.

Mumbai - 11 July 2012 - Zaveri Bazaar spot where blast as took place last year on 13th July 2011 in Mumbai on Wednesday. (Photo by Vijayanand Gupta / Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

Police officers across all police stations have been instructed to visit the crowded areas and religious places within their jurisdiction, take an overview of their security status and, if required, beef up security. Zonal DCPs have also visited the places, especially since the alert has come at the beginning of the festival season and when preparations are underway for the assembly elections.

“We have increased security after an input from the central agencies about a possible terror attack,” said a senior police officer. “Street hawkers in Kalbadevi and nearby areas have been removed to ensure that criminal elements do not take advantage of the crowds. We also conducted surprise checks at various places.” On Friday, mock drills were conducted at Zaveri Bazar, Bhaucha Dhakka, Barkat Ali Road and Iskcon temple at Juhu to check their security preparedness.

Officials, however, termed this as a routine exercise undertaken after a hoax call was received recently, claiming that bombs had been placed in Zaveri Bazar. The hoax received serious attention, as the area has witnessed bomb blasts in the past. On July 13, 2011, three coordinated blasts took place in Zaveri Bazaar, Opera House and Dadar between 6.52 pm and 7.05 pm, killing 27 people and injuring 127 others.

Recently there was a bomb hoax call at the Haji Ali dargah, a spot which witnesses huge crowds, especially on weekends.

The police also put out a routine preventive order on Friday, saying that subversive or anti-social elements might seek hideouts in residential areas, and there was every likelihood of “breach of peace and disturbance of public tranquillity with grave danger to human life and injury to private or public property on that account”.

The order asked landlords and others who had rented out their properties, including hotels, guest houses and musafir khanas, to immediately furnish the particulars of their tenants through the citizen portal of the Mumbai police. If the tenant was not an Indian citizen, information, including passport details, would have to be furnished about them, failing which action would be taken, a police official said.