In the wake of Chief Minister Beant Singh’s assassination, security agencies have advised VVIPs in the Capital to minimize their movements, till the security personnel at their residences are screened afresh, well-placed sources said.
“It is difficult for us to tell VVIPs with ‘Zplus’ security cover not to go out of their homes, But, it is important for us to overhaul the VVIP security network,” a senior police official who attended two high-level meetings in this connection, said.
In Delhi, there are 504 VIPs who have been provided with the security cover. Around 40 fall in the ‘Z’ level security category.
The Government agencies deployed for VIP security are Delhi Police, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, the Central Reserve Police Force and the National Security Guards.
As the first step to increased vigil, these agencies checked up the itinerary of targeted VIPs. Some of them were persuaded to cancel their programs and those who could not, were asked to give “prior information” of the routes they are going to take.
The security agencies ensured that no unidentified vehicle was abandoned on routes that the VIPs were to take.
“The fact that someone managed to plant heavy quantity of RDX explosives in Beant Singh’s car, which was part of the Zplus category, indicates that the security network has been infiltrated,” the police official said.
Article extracted from this publication >>September 8, 1995
