Security beefed up in Karnataka as high alert continues over terror threat

A thick security blanket has been thrown across major towns and cities of Karnataka following intelligence inputs about a possible terror attack, police sources said on Saturday.

With heavy deployment of police personnel at every nook and corner of prominent places in the state,extensive checking was carried out using metal detector and sniffer dogs. Police sources said the alert was sounded Friday night asking all police officers to be vigilant and directing police to be present everywhere following intelligence inputs about a possible terror attack.

There was intelligence input that a group of terrorists was planning to create terror and panic in the country, the sources said. Security has been strengthened at all important installations and public places such as bus stands, railway stations, temples, markets, malls and government offices.

Besides Bengaluru, vigil has also been tightened in Hubballi-Dharwad, Kalaburagi, Raichur, Chitradurga, Mangaluru, Davangere, Udupi, Mysuru and Tumakuru. Police personnel were seen searching bags and frisking passengers at the railway stations and bus stands on Saturday.

Multi-layer security arrangements were witnessed at important temples in the state. Devotees were frisked before being let inside Udupi Krishna, Kukke Subrahmanya and Ranganatha temples at Srirangapatna and Chamundi shrine in Mysuru.

Police said tight security helped them in nabbing an eight-member gang in Mangaluru, which were planning a heist on Friday night. The gangsters were moving around in a Sports Utility Vehicle and had stayed at a hotel in Mangaluru. Police seized two pistols and eight cartridges from them.

Bengaluru police commissioner Bhaskar Rao had on Friday night issued a memo to all the officers to ensure tight security at every important installations.