Top cop meets 500 religious, business representatives, asks them to step up security

BENGALURU: Police commissioner T Suneel Kumar on Thursday met hundreds of representatives from churches, mosques and other religious centres, and representatives of hotels and commercial establishments, directing them to enhance security measures on their premises.

The meeting — held in the backdrop of the Easter bombings in Colombo that killed at least 10 people from Karnataka — saw 500-odd people gather at the commissioner’s Infantry Road office. Officials said a meeting of such a large scale, involving representatives of multiple religious groups, was unprecedented.
While Kumar emphasised that the meeting’s agenda was general awareness, attendees TOI spoke to said they were given instructions to put in place adequate security measures at all their establishments. While it couldn’t be independently verified if there was any particular threat to Bengaluru, or if any intelligence had been shared, Kumar said: “There is no specific threat.”
The commissioner, while warning that criminals could take advantage of the night to plant things, said people must equip their properties with adequate lighting and other measures. “Bengaluru has 1.25 crore people; that means 2.5 crore eyes. We want all of them to be alert,” Kumar said.
Police have advised people to set up their own security system to check any suspicious persons from entering prayer halls or hotels, and verify baggage on a daily basis.
He said the police department has proposed setting up of an Anti-Terrorist Cell (ATC) that will work specifically on terror threats in Bengaluru, while also helping in investigation of other cases. “We will have it up and running as soon as we get the government’s approval,” Kumar said.
Among the instructions given to the attendees were installation of CCTV cameras, employment of private agencies or deployment of volunteers for security.
Hotels and malls have been specifically asked to install Door-Framed Metal Detectors (DFMD) and provide guards with sufficient Hand-Held Metal Detectors (HHMD) and baggage scanners to be used at the entrances and exits.
Besides, hotels, lodges and others have been mandated to demand ID proofs from people seeking accommodation, while their representatives, managers and security in-charge personnel have been told to remain in touch with local policemen.
Aktar Pasha, who was representing a mosque in Begur, southeast Bengaluru, while appreciating the initiative said: “These precautions will be helpful in avoiding untoward incidents in Bengaluru. The commissioner has suggested that we beef up security and keep vigil. We’ve been told to verify identities of strangers and report suspicious activities. We will definitely adopt these suggestions to save people from activities by anti-national elements.”
Kumar said these arrangements must be made on priority keeping in mind long-term security of not just the establishments but also the city.