Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Kolkata Metro on Red Alert


A red alert has been sounded at the Metro Railway this evening after the police received information about a possible terror attack at any of the stations between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.According to police, a phone call by an anonymous person was received by a media house whose name police refused to divulge.

The caller spoke of possible terror attack in any of the stations between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. A journalist of the media house immediately informed a senior police officer of the phone call. Police took no chance and immediately passed the information on to Metro Railway authorities.

Bomb squad officials rushed to the Metro Railway stations with sniffer dogs and conducted a thorough search of the belongings of the passengers.

Police posted anti-sabotage teams at the Metro Railway stations. Police personnel were also deployed outside the stations.

Extra security deployments were arranged for all metro stations. "Our senior officers are visiting the Metro railway stations to supervise the checking job being conducted in every Metro Railway stations," said Vineet Goyal, deputy commissioner Kolkata police.

Goyal further said police were trying to identify the caller. Police said they would not relax the security measures in Metro Stations even though the call is proved to be a hoax call.

"Tomorrow being Christmas, lakhs of people will take the Metro and we cannot afford to take any chance," a senior officer said.

More than 2,500 additional policemen will be deployed in the city tomorrow. Security measures have also being beefed at important installations.

A senior official of Metro Railway said that the security system in both ends of the Metro Railway route had been beefed up and additional police and Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel deployed to keep close watch on all Metro stations.

Following the threat call, frisking in all stations has been intensified and there is no need to get scared, he added. He also requested all the commuters to inform the Metro officials, RPF personnel on duty if they find any thing suspicious.

(Internet Inputs)

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