Delhi police foil ISI plan of disrupting I-Day, arrest Pak national with RDX

Delhi police foil ISI plan of disrupting I-Day, arrest Pak national with RDX
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

NEW DELHI, AUG 11: Delhi police has foiled an attempt by Pakistan's ISI to disrupt this year's Independence Day celebrations when sleuths of Special Cell arrested a Pakistani national alongwith 10.2-kg of highly-explosive RDX.

The strict vigilance, maintained by the Delhi Police in the wake of the approaching Independence Day, bore fruits last night when the cops arrested a Pakistani national Jannat Gul, Delhi Police Commissioner Ajai Sharma told reporters here.

He said, with his arrest, the Delhi police had foiled a ISI plan to wreak havoc in the capital on Independence Day.

Acting on specific intelligence inputs, sleuths of the city police's Special Cell, arrested the ISI agent, basically of Afghan origin, and recovered 10.2 kgs of RDX, other explosives and arms, which were planned to be used on August 15, he said.

The seized explosives and arms include two ABCD timers, four pencil-timers, three electronic detonators, six energiser batteries, four ordinary detonators, a .30 bore pistol and 38 cartridges, Sharma said.

Police also recovered two fabricated Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) set to explode on August 15. The IEDs were found buried inside the Khusro Park in Nizamuddin area of South Delhi, for safe-keeping, the sources said.

The Police Commissioner said the IEDs were meant to be planted near the Red Fort from where the Prime Minister addresses the nation on Independence Day.

Meanwhile, the Delhi police, in collaboration with the Indian Air Force (IAF), have made elaborate security arrangements for this year's Independence Day in the wake of threats from militants operating from Pakistan.

``On August 15, Air Space restriction would be enforced over Delhi and IAF has been asked to shoot down even planes flying without permission,'' Delhi Police Commissioner Ajai Sharma told reporters here.

The move has been taken following intelligence reports that ISI might use Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to cause destruction on the day.

He said IAF helicopters would also be pressed into service on that day to maintain a strict vigil in congested areas and areas around the Red Fort from where Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee would be addressing the nation.

This is for the third time that the IAF has also been pressed into service to maintain vigil on Independence and Republic Days.

He said besides Kashmiri and Sikh militants, intelligence inputs suggest threats from the LTTE and ultras of the North East.

He said the Delhi Police would leave nothing to chance and tight security be maintained from dawn-to-dusk to have a trouble-free Independence Day.

The Police Commissioner said police-teams were keeping a strict watch on clusters, guest-houses, inns and hotels.

Besides patrolling by the district police, 338 Police Control Rooms and 300 motor-cycles of Police headquarters would be pressed into service.

The Police Commissioner said the movement of people at the borders with other States would be maintained and anti-sabotage teams from Delhi Police, Paramilitary and Army had also been pressed into service.

He said commandos and sharp-shooters from the Delhi police and paramilitary forces would maintain vigil from high-rise buildings.

Sharma appealed to the public to pass on any relevant information to the police control room but said anyone indulging in passing on false information would face tough action.