Antony seeks Navy to explain lapses in maritime security

With criticism mounting after the sea-guarding forces were caught napping as terrorists struck Mumbai, Defence Minister AK Antony sought a detailed explanation from the Navy for lapses.

With criticism mounting after the sea-guarding forces were caught napping as terrorists struck Mumbai, Defence Minister AK Antony on Monday sought a detailed explanation from the Navy for lapses and asked them to heighten vigil to prevent recurrences of such attacks.

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In the first one-to-one meeting with Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta here at the South Block since the Mumbai attacks claimed that over 190 lives, Antony also learned from the former about Navy's fresh measures to tighten the security apparatus along India's 7,516-km long coastline.

"The Defence Minister had an hour-long meeting with the Navy chief today to discuss the security situation and to seek the details of how the terrorists entered the Mumbai coast undetected to carry out the dastardly attack," Defence Ministry sources told PTI here.

The two also discussed measures for tightening the security apparatus by increasing sea patrol by the warships and means for better coordination among the Navy, Coast Guard and the state coastal police forces, sources said.

Admiral Mehta, sources said, informed the Defence Minister that the Navy had not obtained any specific intelligence on the Mumbai terror strikes and that they had given a befitting response by apprehending the fishing trawlers that brought the terrorists to the Mumbai coast.

The Minister sought details from the Navy chief on its preparedness to prevent recurrences of such terror attacks and to handle eventualities.