Bengaluru, Jan 26: Following the recent arrest of several Islamic State (ISIS) sympathizers and activists from Karnataka, the police have made elaborate security arrangements in state capital Bengaluru for the Republic Day on Tuesday.
Bengaluru police commissioner NS Megharikh has banned drones and unmanned aircraft systems of any kind for three days from Monday. There will be an additional deployment of 1200 personnel around the Manekshaw parade ground in Central Bengaluru on Tuesday.
There will be major traffic restrictions around the parade ground, between MG Road and Cubbon Road. For the past one week, the police have been taking up sensitisation programmes for security personnel in malls, commercial complexes and busy market areas.
An awareness drive on social media to report any suspicious bag/activity is also underway. The security has been stepped up around the French Consulate, where a threat letter had been received by post two weeks back.
Sleuths on Saturday arrested Imran Moazzam Khan Pathan, 26, from Vaijapur, a village in Aurangabad district for his alleged ISIS links. Pathan’s arrest came two days after the NIA arrested 33-year-old Mudabbir Shaikh, a resident of Mumbra near Mumbai for the same reason.
According to ATS, Shaikh is one of the key ISIS recruiters in India. The counter terrorism agency recently de-radicalized six youths from Dhule who were planning to leave the country to join the Islamic State.
