Crowd wears down security system

Security equipment used by police personnel at Ramlila Ground have started to crack under pressure with thousands of people making a beeline for the venue.

Security equipment used by police personnel at Ramlila Ground have started to crack under pressure with thousands of people making a beeline for the venue.

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The battery of over a dozen hand-held metal detectors broke down, leaving policemen with no choice but to manually frisk people. Also, two baggage scanners have stopped working, posing a security threat.

“We were using hand-held metal detectors round the clock but the battery has conked off now. We are now frisking people but the volume is so high that it is practically impossible to check each and every person,” said a senior police officer on condition of anonymity.

Two large scanners procured during the Commonwealth Games were placed to scan visitors’ baggage on the first day of the protest at Ramlila ground. But by Tuesday the scanners had stopped working. The only security gadget that is working is the door frame metal detectors installed at all the four gates of Ramlila Ground.

“But even that is of no use since hundreds of people are entering the venue in one go. We can’t do much in such a situation,” he added.