On high alert, ‘bombs’ scare Delhi

Traffic was thrown of out of gear at several places in the national Capital today after security agencies intensified checking of vehicles in the wake of recovery of four abandoned bags and a bike with a leather bag in separate localities.

Traffic was thrown of out of gear at several places in the national Capital on Monday after security agencies intensified checking of vehicles in the wake of recovery of four abandoned bags and a bike with a leather bag in separate localities.

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The bomb calls, generated from the Army Base Hospital, M-block market, GK-I, Gopinath Market, Scindia House and Mangolpuri, all turned out to be hoax. But they sent the security agencies into a tizzy and led to an increased level of high alert that has been in place in the aftermath of the terror attacks in Hyderabad.

Police deployment was strengthened and barricades were erected on several roads to check vehicles. Patrolling was intensified, deployment on Delhi’s borders with other states as well as at several markets was beefed up. Police barricades, however, created bottlenecks during the evening rush and threw traffic out of gear.

Heavy traffic jam was witnessed on Ring Road on both carriageways from Safdarjung Hospital up to Dhaula Kuan and Naraina. Vehicular movement, especially in south and central Delhi, was severely affected because of checking.

Defunct traffic signals added to the problems of the commuters who found themselves stuck in snarls. Traffic jams prevailed in the city till late Monday night.

The police were particularly on the alert since the most serious threat, reported from near the Army Base Hospital, turned out to be a prank played by two youths on an elderly building contractor. They had left a laptop bag in his car at a traffic signal, telling him that it was gift.

He turned the bag over to the army officers at the hospital and the entire police machinery was mobilised. Bricks and a bathing soap was found in the bag.

All police stations had been put on high alert after the several bomb calls.