The top brass of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) on Wednesday reviewed the investigations into the recovery of a firecracker from a Kingfisher aircraft that arrived at Thiruvananthapuram international airport from Bangalore on March 21.
The team led by Director-General, CISF, N.R. Das arrived at the airport on Wednesday and inspected the statements recorded by the CISF. Airport sources said the team comprising CISF Inspector-General M.S. Bali and DIG Ashokkumar Das also questioned some of those who had given statements to the CISF personnel.
The 400-member strong elite Aviation Security Group (ASG) of the CISF is in overall charge of the security of the international airport. Airport Director V.N. Chandran and City Police Commissioner M.R. Ajith Kumar were among those who called on the CISF Director-General at the airport.
Team meets DGP
The CISF Director-General and other CISF senior officials also met Director General of Police Jacob Punnose. The security arrangements at the airport are learnt to have come up for review at the meeting.
Already, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) team had carried out investigation into the incident that is seen as a major security lapse. The Airport Director has submitted his report into the recovery of the crude device and system analysis to the Airports Authority of India.
Based on the reports of the BCAS, CISF and the Airport Director, a consolidated report will be prepared and the loopholes in the security arrangements, if any, will be plugged.
Airport sources said the AAI was of the opinion that a fool-proof investigation was not being carried out by the city police.
The chances of the crude device falling from the registered baggage were being ignored.
“There seems to be haste in blaming the security at the State's premier airport. There is every chance of the crude device escaping the X-ray surveillance,” sources said.