Citizens panic as cops ‘search for terrorists’

COMBAT-READY: City police personnel and QRT commandos at Oberoi Mall in Goregaon on Saturday

Mateen Hafeez | TNN

Mumbai: Traffic sign boards on Saturday urged citizens not to panic if, all of a sudden, they saw commandos taking position at vital installations across the city, hunting for ‘terrorists’. It was merely the city police personnel and the Quick Response Team (QRT) commandos hard at work during a series of mock drills at various locations.

On Saturday, the city police conducted mock drills at sensitive sites like the World Trade Centre in Cuffe Parade, Oberoi Mall in Goregaon, Siddhivinayak temple at Dadar and Andheri railway station.

The LED sign boards were flashing the message, “Mock drill is going in the city. No need to panic. Please cooperate’’. Joint police commissioner (Law and Order), Rajnish Seth, said there was no fresh terror threat to the city.

The Mumbai cops have managed to bring down their response time to an emergency call from the earlier 12-15 minutes to five-six minutes. Officials say the mock drills that they have been organising for the last several months have started yielding results. “We have succeeded in reducing the response time by more than half. During an attack, it is extremely important that security personnel, armed to the teeth, reach the spot in the shortest time. We have been working on that aspect,’’ a senior police official said.

There was extensive nakabandi on all the main roads in the city. Citizens were seen calling up their friends, offices and relatives wanting to know if there was any “terror attack’’ in the city.

“I did not know about the mock drill. I saw a large number of policemen armed with their service weapons. It was only when I called home that I learnt about the mock drills in progress,’’ Amit Hindolkar, a student from Bandra said.

Traffic was affected by the nakabandis. All the major roads were jammed. Traffic cops were seen at all the major signals trying to streamline vehicular movement.

Explaining how a drill is conducted, an official said, “A team gets a call from the control room, telling the personnel where the mock drill will be held. The team has to reach there within a stipulated time and, as soon it arrives at the spot, officials check if the personnel have the right communication equipment, arms and ammunition and bullet-proof jackets. However, there is no terrorist to fight but this exercise has helped the cops become alert, punctual and get familiar with the layouts of vital installations.’’

The mock drill teams comprise 50 to 75 personnel each and members are chosen from units like the QRT, the Delta Police, the bomb detection and disposal squad and the SRPF.

The Times of India, June 27, 2010