The Centre has warned of the possibility of terrorists planning a strike in which car bombs could be used during the forthcoming Durga Puja festival. The Railways have been alerted.
“We will have to be cautious to ensure that there is no untoward incident during the Durga Puja period,” West Bengal Chief Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty said here on Monday.
The threat could come not only from bombs concealed in a car but also in bags and there is a need to be on the alert, he added.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Railways are taking all precautionary and preventive measures to ensure security during the festival period, Additional Director-General of Police (Railways) Dilip Mitra told The Hindu. Security is being tightened at major railway installations and stations and a special vigil will be maintained in trains, a senior railway official said.
“There is a general alert during Durga Puja against such a possibility,” said Chief Security Commissioner, Eastern Railway, B. Mohan.
Surveillance along the State’s border with Nepal and Bangladesh has been stepped up in the wake of intelligence reports of possible attempts to smuggle in explosives from Nepal, sources said.
ADVERTISEMENT
According to information reaching the railway authorities, a hired or stolen car may be used to carry out an explosion.
The city police have also decided to set up metal detectors in the more popular puja pandals as an added security measure.