The recent barricading of the City Police commissioner’s office – where the entry of vehicles non-senior police officers was suddenly strictly-prohibited – got everyone wondering about the reasons for the same. Terrorist threat? Bandobast to avoid CBI or Lokayukta raids? The recent security gaffe at the Vidhana Soudha?
Even senior police officers feigned ignorance about the strict security measures, further adding fuel to gossip.
The reasons were revealed by people in the know. A senior police officer found that another police vehicle had parked at “his spot” in front of his office. With the owner of the vehicle nowhere to be found, the officer was enraged. Immediately, he directed security personnel to barricade the entrance and not allow any vehicles except those of senior police officers.
Relentless checking
The recent controversy involving a battery-operated LED garland being let unnoticed into the Vidhana Soudha seems to have kept security personnel around the Chief Minister’s office on tenterhooks.
At the start of the city rounds by the Chief Minister, media personnel were thoroughly checked, with even the flash on the cameras – apparently to check for mobile-phone bombs – being tested by taking sample photos at Krishna, the CM’s home office. Even biscuit packets and bottles of water were being checked.
With unscheduled stops and meetings with party workers, the tour ended only at 9 p.m., leaving many mediapersons anxious about their deadlines (adding to the anxiety, the CM’s convoy slipped away in the narrow Horamavu Road, leaving the bus carrying reporters battling traffic).
Already late, the journalists rushed out on reaching Krishna. There was no time for checking, but the security personnel wouldn’t relent. Even as reporters jogged towards the conference hall, the security personnel sprinted besides them, patting down whoever they could reach.
(Reporting by Imran Gowhar, Mohit M Rao)
A recent security scare has left police on tenterhooks
