Shoppers face full body frisking, long queues as Delhi cops announce high alert
Shoppers face full body frisking, long queues as Delhi cops announce high alert
Even as the Delhi police issued a red alert in and around the city after three Pakistani terrorists escaped on Saturday, malls, multiplexes and markets were asked to tighten security. Result: shoppers faced long security check queues during weekend shopping.
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"Teen atankwadi bhaag gaye hain. Har aane wale ko puri tarah check karo (three terrorists have escaped.
Check every visitor properly)," said a senior security officer to guards at Select City Walk. Refusing to divulge his identity, the official said security was never so tight. "The full body frisking may irritate guests, but the terrorists are a threat. The police have asked us to thoroughly check every guest," he said.
The malls also saw surprise checks by cops. "Since morning, PCR vans have been hovering around the mall entrance. No private vehicle is being allowed to wait," said a private security guard at one of the malls. As guards frisked them, many shoppers were not too pleased. "I have been standing at the mall entrance for over 20 minutes. On weekends the rush is more and these guards are taking so long to frisk visitors and their bags.
Couldn't the malls arrange for some quicker method of checking?" said Neha, a young shopper at Metropolitan mall. While some didn't mind the trouble. "They are doing it for our safety. I don't mind standing in a long queue," said Ankush Mehra, another shopper at the mall.
Market mayhem
Meanwhile, in the markets, Delhi police personnel battled rain and cold to check shoppers. At the popular Lajpat Nagar and Sarojini Nagar market in South Delhi, shoppers were being asked to walk through Door Frame Metal Detectors (DFMD), most of which were malfunctioning. "It's an old machine and has stopped functioning months ago. We are just keeping our fingers crossed that no untoward incident happens," said a Delhi police constable, on duty at Lajpat Nagar market, wishing anonymity.
Thankfully, because of the cold, shoppers were more inclined to visit the cosier malls. "The volume of shoppers is less than normal. In this weather, most people prefer to visit a mall than an open market," said the cop.
Rs 50,000
Is the reward announced by the Delhi police for information on the three absconding terrorists
| Terror Let Loose |
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The three terrorists -- Abdul Razzak, Mohammed Sadiq and Rafaqat Ali -- were arrested for their alleged involvement in December 2000 attack on Red Fort. They had served their jail term and escaped from the GB Pant Hospital on Saturday evening. |
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