Mumbai local trains, platforms among terror suspects’ targets

Railway cops during an inspection at Sewri station on Friday

The six men, including a Dharavi resident, arrested over a terror plot, were planning to trigger blasts on Mumbai's local trains apart from other places, the Special Cell of the Delhi police has said. Sources said the government railway police have also received intelligence about possible terror strikes, including gas attacks on trains and vehicles ramming into crowded platforms to inflict maximum casualties.

Sources said the government railway police (GRP) has got inputs from various agencies citing new threats. "Time and again we have been receiving terror threats, especially for local trains and every threat has been taken seriously and we have been taking various steps to minimise those threats," said Commissioner of Railway Police Quaiser Khalid.

The Special Cell of the Delhi police earlier this week arrested six men for allegedly planning to launch terrorist attacks in many states, including Maharashtra. One of them is Dharavi resident Jan Mohammed Shaikh, alias Kaliya, who was arrested from Kota when he was on his way from Mumbai to Delhi.

Following the arrests, the GRP beefed up the security of railway stations with maximum footfall and blocked few entry and exit points at these stations. "We have been doing mock drills at the railway stations on how to react during such a situation. This is an old SOP, now we have been conducting live mock drills at railway stations where there are possibilities of any kind of terror attack, the officers are being trained about the same," said Khalid.

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A dog on security duty at Kalyan on Friday

The officer continued, "I have worked in Naxal areas and some of my officers too, we have been taking IED sessions with our other staff about IED blast and how to deal with that. We are not letting any stone unturned as far as the safety at railway premises are concerned, extra staff have been deployed at crowded railway stations, we are in regular touch with other agencies which includes National Security Guards."

The GRP commissioner said that railway stations have been given specific instructions to ensure police vigilance along with bomb and dog squads to deal with any emergency situation. The GRP also placed the barricades and speed breakers at stations where there are possibilities of a vehicle ploughing into platforms. "It is a tactic used by terror organisations since the last few years to cause maximum casualty at crowded places, as far as the railway is concerned, we have taken all precautions to minimize such possibilities at major crowded railway stations," said Khalid.

"We are also taking sessions about vehicle ramming and how to prevent the same. Like at what speed a terror suspect enters a crowded area, then how we should react to break the speed of the vehicle," he said.

Eye on gas cylinders

The GRP is also preparing to thwart attempts to leak gas or cause cylinder blasts. The cops have begun taking the stock of every gas cylinder used on railway premises like canteens and shops in the vicinity of stations. They are also checking the details of gas pipelines running near or from station premises. "Special drives are happening to check what are the possibilities at which location and steps are being taken to prevent the same," said Khalid.

Parcel bookings being monitored

The railway cops are also keeping a close watch on parcel bookings through long-distance trains. Sources said the top officer has asked all railway police stations for maximum foot patrolling, random checking, especially if someone is carrying something which is not normal.

On the digital surveillance front, the GRP will upgrade its apparatus by getting more CCTV cameras at blank spots. Khalid added, "Today we have around 6-7 thousand cameras on railway premises which include Central and Western railway. We will be upgrading the system and installing more cameras and we have already got the sanction. We are also working to get facial recognition cameras to enhance the security systems at railway stations."

6-7K
No. of CCTV cameras on city's railway premises