Security agencies have decided to bring Delhi Metro stations under increased surveillance cover and share intelligence in case of any untoward activity to the facilities in the wake of recent incidents of firing and people organising protests on rail tracks.
During a meeting of top Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh police, CISF, central security agencies and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) officials, it was decided to exchange more “intelligence” on suspicious movements towards Delhi Metro stations and ensure quick deployment of “unarmed” security personnel at the entry of these facilities.
The agencies were taken off-guard when a group of Sikh protesters had swooped down at the Subhash Nagar Metro Station on May 1, protested on rail track and climbed onto the engine.
A few months back a man killed his wife and injured his father-in-law when he fired outside the Karkardooma Metro Station.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the nodal security agency for Delhi Metro, has asked the home ministry to sanction it an additional 3,805 personnel for duty at the public transport facility.
It now has a total strength of 4,869 personnel (men and women) deployed on the network in the national capital region.
A senior official said the authorities have recentlydeployed lady police personnel of respective state government police forces at stations that fall in Gurgaon, Ghaziabad and Noida.
The CISF has also tasked its assistant commandant rank officials to keep track of metro trains late in the night, while inspectors will be patrolling the stations and coaches.
“We have increased the presence of our uniformed personnel and also those in civil dress. Many new measures have been taken to ensure passenger and women safety. We request passengers to call our helpline in case of distress,” CISF deputy inspector general (Metro security) Udayan Banerjee said.
The CISF fined a total of 6,669 male passengers from “womens only” coaches between January-May 20 this year after it undertook 140 such operations. It also apprehended 187 pick-pockets from the metro network and handed them over to the police.
CISF and DMRC are trying to get additional space at stations to place more X-ray machines and metal detectors so that queues are shortened and passengers frisked in quick time.