Posters carrying photographs of 19 wanted terrorists linked to groups such as Indian Mujahideen, al-Qaeda and Khalistani terror networks have been put up at several places across the national capital ahead of Independence Day as part of heightened security measures, a Delhi Police officer said on Tuesday.
Regarding this, he further said: This exercise is part of the annual security drill conducted ahead of August 15, which aims to increase public awareness and seek the public’s help in identifying and tracking individuals considered a threat to the national capital.
Delhi has been placed on high alert ahead of the Independence Day celebrations. Security agencies have intensified surveillance and vigilance at key locations, including crowded markets, the Delhi Metro, bus terminals, railway stations and other transport hubs, government buildings and critical installations.
Multi-layered security has been put in place at the Red Fort, where the main Independence Day celebrations are held. Around 15,000-20,000 Delhi Police and paramilitary personnel are expected to be deployed for the August 15 event, which is likely to be attended by a large number of people, including VIPs and VVIPs.
Nearly 1,000 CCTV cameras, including cameras with facial recognition capability, have been installed at the Red Fort and surrounding areas.
A high-tech CCTV control room has been set up inside the memorial, where police personnel and technical teams will monitor every movement within a radius of more than three kilometers.
Security arrangements have also been strengthened in view of intelligence inputs, as police are closely monitoring suspicious activities and movements in the national capital and surrounding areas.
As part of the enhanced security framework, the Delhi Police is extensively using technology to identify suspicious and wanted persons in crowded areas.
The Abhigyan app, which contains a database of more than one crore criminals, is used by police officers carrying handheld devices to randomly screen fingerprints.
Fingerprints are checked against the database within seconds. A red alert warns officers that the person has a criminal record, while a green alert indicates that no record was found.
Face recognition system (F.R.S.) vans equipped with high-resolution cameras have also been stationed at key locations. The vans scan faces in crowds and match them against available databases.
If a wanted or suspicious person is identified, an alert is generated and sent to the control room for verification and necessary action.
Snipers have been deployed at strategic locations, including elevated platforms, while anti-drone systems have been used to prevent unauthorized aerial activity.
As part of the extensive security arrangement, a surveillance network is also being used to monitor several kilometers around the Red Fort.
To prevent security breaches, police have imposed restrictions on kite flying and drone flying around the monument, the official said.