Indian capital under tight security ahead of Republic Day

Jan 24, 2010, 10:08 GMT

New Delhi - The Indian capital has been placed under a tight security blanket in the run-up to Republic Day celebrations on Tuesday after intelligence agencies warned of terrorist threats.

More than 18,000 policemen along with paramilitary personnel are to guard the route of the annual military parade, while comprehensive ground-to air security apparatus will be in place, police and military officials said.

Airports across the country have been placed on a high alert since Friday after Western intelligence agencies warned of possible hijack attempts by Islamist militants.

Intelligence agencies also warned that the Pakistan-based militant organization, the Lashkar-e-Taiba, had acquired 50 sets of paragliding equipment in Europe, the Indian Express newspaper reported, citing government sources.

The equipment was intended for airborne attacks using suicide bombers, the sources were quoted as saying.

South Korean President Lee Myung Bak is the guest of honour at the Republic Day celebrations. He will be attending the parade along with Indian President Pratibha Patil and a host of Indian officials and Western diplomats.

'Air defence measures, including deployment of anti-aircraft guns, have been taken to check possible intrusion of the airspace,' Ajay Chadha, special commissioner in the Delhi Traffic Police told journalists.

Indian Air Force helicopters would patrol the skies above the parade route. Anti-aircraft guns and sharpshooters from the National Security Guard would also be deployed at strategic positions.

'Snipers will be deployed at high-rise buildings near Rajpath and a total of 105 CCTVs (close-circuit television) will keep an eye on people's movement between Rajpath and Red Fort (the route of the parade,' Chadha said.

Traffic on all roads leading to the parade route would be regulated and the city's underground rail network would be closed until the parade ends at around noon.

Security has been tightened across other parts of the country, especially in the restive northern state of Jammu and Kashmir and north-eastern Assam.

Overnight trains in Assam have been cancelled until Wednesday and security personnel have been deployed in large numbers in trouble-prone areas, the NDTV news channel reported.

Passengers of the Arunachal Express had a narrow escape early Sunday as a powerful explosion ripped apart a stretch of the railway some 30 minutes before the train was to pass that area in Assam, IANS news agency reported, quoting police.

Police said the blast occurred in Dhemaji district, about 370 kilometres east of Assam's main city of Guwahati. The explosion caused a large crater and damaged at least 10 metres of the railway track.

In Jammu and Kashmir, a huge cache of arms, ammunition and explosives was recovered in Baramulla district on Sunday.

'There are inputs that the militants would try and disturb the peace, we have increased the number of checking points in Jammu city,' inspector general of police Ashok Gupta was quoted as saying.

Patrols were increased along the border with Pakistan to check any possible infiltration by militants.

India celebrates its Republic Day on January 26, the day the constitution of the country came into effect in 1950, three years after it gained independence from British rule.