140 locations with security defects found, police asked to patch up spots

New Delhi/Gurugram: Ahead of Republic Day, 25 teams of the Delhi Police conducted their annual round of security checks around the Capital and found that over 140 places including hotels, guest houses, markets where security defects were observed. Police have written to senior officers to rectify such defects.

Police said that over 50 of these locations had either dysfunctional door frame metal detectors (DFMDs) or hand-held metal detectors (HHMDs), or not in use or not installed at all.

More than 30 such places identified were locations where CCTV cameras were not working, or CCTV footages were not preserved for the required period. In over 40 places which include hotels, guest houses, there were no guards for security. In over 30 parking lots, inverted mirrors were not used for checking and parking staff were found not wearing proper uniforms and not displaying their identity cards.

The Delhi Police said that more than 100 abandoned vehicles were found lying in different areas and no one ever checked those vehicles and more than dozen hotels, guest houses identified which were running without a license or licenses were not renewed and in over 20 such hotels, cafes, guest houses identified where customer registers were not maintained.

After the inspection teams had identified the vulnerable locations, the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police wrote to senior officers: "Keeping in view the increased threat from various terrorist groups to create disturbances during Republic Day 2021. Several teams of Special Cell are undertaking the exercise of combing the sensitive areas."

During checking, several shortcomings have been noticed in various hotels, guest houses, busy markets, taxi stands, parking lots, cyber cafes, PG accommodations, cinema halls, malls. Officers were told that local police officials under their jurisdiction may be advised to brief the concerned officials to rectify these defects accordingly and sought a compliance report to this effect for the perusal of senior officers.

In addition, the Delhi Police have intensified patrolling and are conducting verification drives across the Capital to avert any possible untoward incidents.

Meanwhile, across the border in Gurugram, 4,000 police personnel are expected to be deployed in order to ensure law and order during the upcoming Republic Day celebrations with most of them to be posted near areas where farmers are sitting in protest of the Centre's three new farm laws. Heavy police deployment is ecpected at Panchgaon Chowk, Manesar Chowk, Sirhaul border, Kapadiwas, FarrukhNagar, Kherki Dhaula, Hero Chowk, Udyog Vihar, IFFCO chowk and Signature Tower Chowk.