26/11 lesson: Navy and Coast Guard scan city seafront for infiltrators

“There is no specific terror threat but all precautions are being taken. We have approached the Coast Guard,the Navy and the Indian Air Force. The Navy and the Coast Guard are engaged in a big coastal policing exercise,and the Navy has also started aerial surveillance of coastal areas in the city with its choppers. We are also talking to the Indian Air Force requesting aerial surveillance,” said Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Himanshu Roy.

“Since 90 per cent of the police force will be engaged in election duties,the city can become a soft target. We want to ensure that there is no infiltration from the sea as in the case of the 26/11 terror attack,” said Roy.

The 8,600 polling booths have been divided into 1,200 zones,with 93 vulnerable pockets and 136 critical polling stations identified in Mumbai.

“There will be booth-wise police bandobast. Central paramilitary forces and state reserve police forces will supplement the police force. A total of 950 patrolling mobiles fitted with wireless sets will be out in the city,and we hope to respond to any distress call within five minutes,” said Roy.

District Collector (Mumbai City) Idzes Kundan said the Colaba-to-Sion-Dharavi area has 46 vulnerable hamlets and 53 critical polling stations. “Substantial security has been provided,” she said. “Vulnerable hamlets are those areas from where we expect some trouble and we have demarcated the polling stations in those hamlets as critical.”

As a prevetive,the police have detained,externed or made 7,588 people sign bonds in the city. A total of 324 political goondas have been identified and their names shared with central paramilitary forces.

The police have seized 45 unlicensed firearms and 135 other weapons such as knives,swords. Of the 19,490 licensed firearms in the city,173 have been deposited with the police based on a scrutiny committee’s recommendations. No person will be allowed to carry a licensed arm in public till completion of the election process.