CISF mulls filling gaps in security

The man who sneaked a gun into a Metro station and tried to kill himself on Thursday night has exposed in chink in the security on the network.

His unsuspecting sister had passed him his handbag, containing the country-made gun, over the exit gates. He had passed through the metal detectors without the bag, and collected it from his sister who was on the other side.

The handbag was passed over near Metro smartcard sale-point which can be accessed from both sides.

Such structural deficiencies raises concerns about security breach on the Metro stations.
The Central Industrial Security Force and Delhi Metro Rail Commissioner sprang into action to scale up the existing safety walls near exit gates.

“We are talking to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to increase the height of glass walls to six to seven feet to avoid passing of luggage and other material through the area,” said a CISF official.

Currently, the glass walls are three to four feet in height. Even the CISF is mulling to locate the ‘full stand booth’ near exit gates to make the guard monitor commuters and loiters so that they do not pass any material on the premises.

Twenty two-year-old Shivesh Kumar Pal tactfully sneaked his bag into the Chandni Chowk station on Thursday.

The CISF, responsible for providing security at the Metro stations, viewed the CCTV footage to ascertain the chain of events. “Shivesh and his 25-year-old sister entered Chandni Chowk Metro station with a bag and went to customer care counter. After some time, Shiveshgoes to the screening area, gets himself frisked, while his elder sister stays at the counter,” said an official with CISF.

“After taking entry from an AFC gate, he comes near the counter from inside the station premises and takes the bag from his sister. The gun was inside the bag,” added the official.

Both then boarded a train going towards Rajiv Chowk on the Yellow Line, he said.
“While his sister continues her journey and takes a train heading to Noida City Centre/Vaishali from platform number 3, Shivesh didn’t board the train. He went to a secluded place and shot himself in his shoulder,” he added.

When asked if Shivesh’s moves were caught on CCTV while shooting himself, the official said, “Not every inch of the premises are covered by CCTV.”

“The CISF reviews the placement of CCTV cameras and keeps adding more cameras if required,” he added.