Security heightened at Varanasi airport

The move follows intelligence reports about a terror outfit's plans to hijack a passenger aircraft en route to Nepal.

Security was further beefed up today in-and-around the Lal Bahadur Shastri airport in Varanasi in view of intelligence reports about a terror outfit's plans to hijack a passenger aircraft en route to Nepal, police said.

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Patrolling had been intensified and vehicles coming in and out of the airport were being subjected to thorough check, Superintendent of Police (Rural) Lalit Kumar Singh said.

With intelligence inputs pointing to Lashkar-e-Taiba's plans to hijack an aircraft, he said there was an urgent need to set up a police post outside the airport terminal building for better policing.

An airport official said any decision in this regard would be taken by top Civil Aviation officials.

The SP said police were taking no chances and were closely monitoring activities of people in-and-around the airport at Babatpur.

"We have moved the security into top gear," he said.