Bengaluru blast: series of security steps announced

Public Safety Act to be brought in; CCTVs installed

Tightening security further, Karnataka government today announced a slew of steps, including bringing in Public Safety Act and installation of CCTVs at all "vulnerable" places in the wake of the blast in which a woman was killed three others got injured.

A high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, which reviewed the security situation, also decided to create a separate cadre for intelligence gathering and to beef up cyber security.

As the police gathered pieces of evidence relating to the blast, triggered by an Improvised Explosive Device, Siddaramaiah said "all angles" including the possible role of SIMI was being investigated.

Senior police officials said the National Investigation Team would assist in the investigation and probe teams have been sent to Pune and Chennai to investigate terror links.

"Police is looking at all angles, incidents that have happened in the past, organisation that might have been involved in those incidents, and involvement of various other organisations in this blast, they are investigating all angles."

Briefing reporters, he said "as you are aware recently few people belonging to SIMI had escaped from a jail in Madhya Pradesh and we have information that they had visited Karnataka, so police is looking at that angle also."

Siddaramaiah said "....NIA and other central agencies are there. We will keep in constant contact with them and will seek all assistance required, but investigation will be done by our police in coordination with them."

He said an Act would be in place under which CCTV must be installed by the owners of places which see movement of hundreds people like cinema halls, hotels, malls and others.

Noting that Andhra Pradesh had Public Safety Enforcement Act, he said "our police have studied that act and prepared a draft so as to implement such act in our state also. We have decided to introduce Public Safety Enforcement Act."

Once the Act is in place, security can be provided at all such public places, CCTV's would be installed and public involvement would also increase, he said.