Unconfirmed sources stated that the city police had received an intelligence report from the Central agencies stating that terrorist outfits had planned to hijack a private plane from Hubli.
Following the report, the security that was normal in the morning, was tightened by afternoon with a three-fold increase in the number of police personnel.
Bomb defusing experts and dog squad were also pressed into service.
Apart from the main gate, boarding pass security area, main terminal and the runway, the police cordoned off the unfenced airport area and are keeping a strict vigil.
The airport staff and their family members living in the staff quarters have been strictly asked to use only the main gate.
According to the airport employees, the number of police deployed at the airport had been slowly increasing in the last one week.
“We are told by the higher officials that the Central government has asked all the small airports in the country to have better security arrangements for the safety of passengers and assets. There is nothing special in it,” the employees added.
The ‘plane hijack rumour’ has created fear among the people.
“No one knows what happens next moment here. Because, terrorist groups can easily get into any city and do whatever they want,” said Sharanu Biradar, a resident of Vishweshwar Nagar in Hubli.
“The tight security must be the order of the day at every important place in the twin cities to prevent untoward incidents,” Sharanu added.
Terrorists’ link
It is a known fact that the extremist groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) had links with some cities in north Karnataka, including Hubli-Dharwad, to carry out their covert plans, including recruiting operatives, spreading communal hatred and giving arms training to youths for Jihad.
The terrorists’ link with the twin cities came as a shock to the people when the police arrested Mohammed Asif, an MBBS student from a reputed college in Hubli, and Shakeel, an electrician from Dharwad on charges of having links with SIMI and LeT in 2008.
Later, the Corps of Detectives (CoD) had filed a charge- sheet against 12 persons, including Mohammed Asif and Shakeel, in connection with suspected terror activities.
Since then, the people of the twin cities live in fear and anxiety whenever terrorism related news crops up.
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