In the wake of Hyderabad's terror threat, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram held a meeting on Saturday with Intelligence officials and the local police authorities, to discuss the layers of security that need to be stepped up in Hyderabad. While on his way to Delhi from Coimbatore, the home minister halted at the Shamshabad airport, meeting police officials for over an hour. The meeting was kept away from general knowledge of the public so as to avoid panic.
With memories of the 2007 attacks in the city still fresh in everyone's minds, the centre says it is not willing to take any chances this year. Intelligence reports have confirmed that Hyderabad is indeed a terror target, and has warned that a terrorist attack may occur any time. Consequently, vigilant security measures are being set up all across the AP capital.
However, local channel NTV, in a bid to test the effectiveness of the security measures being set up, carried out private operations covering all important locations across the city.
The operation, which involved leaving a bag stranded across different locations within the same compound, revealed that security is still lax and in fact pitiable in the previous target
Lumbini Park. The Chief Minister's office, as well as the Home Minister's office apparently remained oblivious to a bag (which was wired) placed in 4 different places. A revolver was taken into one of the potential targets (as warned by Intelligence) - a Big Bazaar mall - but was not identified by the metal detectors.
Commissioner A K Khan, in response to the news, arrested the GM of the mall and also filed a case against the boss of the shopping store Lifestyle, after it failed to provide effective security measures.