Uran alert: Operations continue, but with less urgency

Police say the claims made by the students are still being probed

The Navi Mumbai police are still continuing with search operations in Uran, Navi Mumbai. However, they said that the pace of the search has been slowed down in comparison to the urgency of the first three days.

Police personnel stand guard at the coast on Friday.(HT Photo)

“The search operations for the suspects in Uran area have been operationally modified. However, check points continue to be vigilant and any information on the issue is being thoroughly verified. Steps are being taken to counter any attempt at an attack,” said Hemant Nagrale, Commissioner of police (Navi Mumbai).

Sources in the police said they have not found anything substantial in the claims made by the two students. However, as the facility has a lot of important installations including a naval base and an armament depot, the police have still deployed a security presence in the area.

The Navi Mumbai police have asked people to refrain from spreading rumors. They appealed to the public to approach the police if they had information about the suspected intruders.

The Navy had called off their search in Uran and the surrounding coastal belt on Friday after sanitising the naval base and their area of operations. Western India’s biggest naval base, the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, fertiliser plants, refineries, power plants and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port are all located near Uran.

On Thursday, two school children allegedly spotted armed men dressed in Pathani suits and carrying backpacks, after which the Indian Navy and Coast Guards had sounded an alert in the West coast. The Mumbai and Thane police had also joined the Navi Mumbai police and sounded alerts in their respective jurisdictions.