Anti-sabotage team lands to sanitise PM visit venues

DG-IGP Praveen Sood reviews security scenario; to hold meeting with senior officers

Mysore/Mysuru: With just 48 hours left for the high-profile and event-packed visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the security apparatus of City, State and Centre is on high alert. Though the final decision will be taken by the Special Protection Group (SPG) that guards the PM and is supported by the elite National Security Guards (NSG), the outer layer of the protection will be provided by the State forces.

An eight-member team from the Indian Air Force (IAF) alighted from an  IAF chopper at the Oval Grounds this noon and as per sources, this is an anti-sabotage team that comprises a bomb squad and metal detecting experts. The team will sanitise the places where the PM will visit and take over the venues under their control.

This team will be supported by dog squads that have already arrived. The main route that will be taken by the PM’s cavalcade, alternative routes and other route options will be checked. 

Checking and sanitisation by the bomb squad and explosive experts will be taken up at all the venues and the SPG will take a final call on whether Modi will visit a particular place or not. Though a series of programmes have been lined up from 3 pm on June 20 till 9.30 am on June 21, a couple of them can be cancelled by the SPG.

DG-IGP visit

This morning, Karnataka Director General and Inspector General (DG-IGP) of Police Praveen Sood took stock of security arrangements. He was accompanied by Southern Range IGP Praveen Madhukar Pawar, and City Police Commissioner Dr. Chandragupta and others.

Sood will visit all the venues that will see the PM’s presence like Maharaja’s College, Oval Grounds, Suttur Mutt, Palace, Chamundi Hill, Mysore Airport and Lalitha Mahal Helipad.

Today afternoon, Sood will hold a high-level meeting of Police Officers, Deputy Commissioner and other officers and look into the arrangements made for the VVIP visit and if arrangements are in order as per specifications set by the SPG. 

The DG-IGP will stay in Mysuru today and leave for Bengaluru tomorrow and come to the city again on June 20. ADGP Alok Kumar will camp in the city till the PM leaves Mysuru.