160 glass partitions weak points in Metro: CISF

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which is responsible for the security of Delhi Metro on Tuesday said that it had zeroed in at least 160 "weak points" in respect of security in the station premises, involving glass partitions.

"Glass partitions are the weak links. We are taking it up in writing. We have zeroed on at least 160 weak points in Delhi Metro. We are trying to manage it with queue manager system," CISF Director General (DG) Surender Singh said at a press conference.

Apart from the queue manager system at the weak points, he said that the CISF has taken several other measures to avoid any unprecedented incidents inside the metro through this structural problem.

The CISF chief also said that the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has increased the height of the glass partition at 14 places, while it is not more than three and a half feet at other locations.

"We have been keeping a strict watch at all these 160 weak points with the deployment of an armed santri (constable) behind a bullet proof structure at each place with the additional queue manager system and strict watch under CCTV," CISF spokesperson Hemendra Singh told IANS.

The CISF took the step after a 22-year-old Shibesh Kumar Pal killed himself inside the busy Rajiv Chowk metro station on October 2, 2015 by using a firearm which he managed to smuggle inside by simply having a bag containing it handed over the glass partition.

Police in its inquiry at that time had revealed that Pal's sister had passed him the bag, carrying the firearm, over low glass partition fixed next to the customer service counter.

CISF had however then passed the buck calling the security breach a "structural fault".

The spokesperson further said that at least 99 people were caught in 2015 for passing some material, bags and laptops to their fellow passengers over the glass partition.

"Most of the passengers were unaware that to pass materials without clearance from the X-Ray baggage machines is a punishable offence. Of the 99 violators, 95 were fined between Rs. 200-250 for their offence," Hemendra Singh told IANS.