JOIN USPrison turns fortress for Jayalalitha
The City police kept itself busy on Wednesday, making last minute security arrangements after the Karnataka government assured the Supreme Court, which directed the Tamil Nadu chief minister to appear before a Bangalore court, that she will be provided adequate security.
A Bench headed by Justice Dalveer Bhandari rejected Jayalalitha’s petition for deferment of hearing in the Bangalore court following assurances by the Karnataka government of proper security for the chief minister who enjoys Z plus security cover by the National Security Guards (NSG).
The only route to the central prisons at the CGI Circle has been blocked. Vehicular movement from CGI Circle to the special court has been banned. Only government vehicles and those belonging to the police will be allowed to move. The City police have clamped prohibitory orders within a radius of 500 metres around the court premises. The area in and around the court premises has been thoroughly scanned by the bomb detection and disposal squad.
After several rounds of meetings, top police officers expressed satisfaction over the security arrangements. Some of them personally visited the prison to oversee the measures.
The police have tightened security at all entry points leading to the central prison. All ACPs and police inspectors under the DCP (South) have intensified patrolling. CCTV cameras have been installed at all important places, structures and on trees, in and around the jail.
Several platoons of KSRP and quick reaction team have been kept on standby. More than 200 policemen will be pressed into duty on Thursday, police said. Besides, her immediate security ring will comprise 10 NSG commandos.
The chief minister will use a bullet proof car and an armed police officer will take seat in the front. Her convoy will have two escort vehicles, each with four armed officers.
Jayalalitha is expected to land at HAL airport Thursday morning and will directly go to the court by road. She may stay back in the City if the situation demands, or return to Chennai by evening and come back to Bangalore Friday again, an AIADMK leader said.
At the Supreme Court, while dismissing her plea for deferring the trial in the Bangalore court, Justice Bhandari said: “When there is an affidavit by the DGP and the chief secretary, what else do you want? We were equally concerned till yesterday. We got two affidavits from two top officials that she would be provided with adequate security.”
Appearing for Jayalalitha, senior advocate Mukul Rohtagi insisted that the NSG did not get an opportunity to make a survey of the place 60 hours before her visit as mandated.
However, he could not convince the court to issue direction for adjournment of the hearing in the trial court.