Sri Lanka Blasts: Though Bengaluru was already on alert with extra vigil and more security for the April 18 Lok Sabha election in the state’s central and southern regions, the city and state police are not taking chances.

[Nasheman news]
BENGALURU: 

Bengaluru and Mysuru in southern Karnataka are on high alert with security tightened in the aftermath of the serial blasts in Sri Lanka on April 21, a top police official said on Friday.

“We have deployed additional forces in all sensitive areas, religious places, markets, malls, shopping plazas, multiplexes, airport, railway station, inter-state bus terminal and public places to prevent untoward incidents,” Bengaluru Police Commissioner T Suneel Kumar told IANS.

Though the city was already on alert with extra vigil and more security for the April 18 Lok Sabha election in the state’s central and southern regions, the city and state police are not taking chances.

A series of terror blasts struck churches and luxury hotels in Colombo, killing over 250 people.

“We have also directed hotels, pubs, restaurants, marriage halls, multi-complexes and supermarkets to step up their own security in and around their places with CCTV cameras, metal detectors and fire alarm,” said Mr Kumar.

Bengaluru has been on general alert for years as India’s tech hub with the presence of over 500 global IT firms, aerospace industries, Indian space agency ISRO, defence labs, Indian Institute of Science and state-run research and development institutes.

“We regularly receive alerts from the Union Home Ministry and intelligence agencies on possible terror attacks, as untoward incidents in Bengaluru draw global attention in view its reputation and prominence as the country’s technology capital, aerospace hub and space city,” said Mr Kumar.

As it is not possible for the police and state security agencies to look after everyone or every place in view of the city’s size and its population (over 1 crore), Mr Kumar said citizens were equally responsible and have to work with the government to thwart any terror incident.

“We have asked all hotels, pubs, restaurants, theatres, churches, temples, mosques, malls, cinema theatres and multiplexes to install surveillance cameras, metal detectors, baggage scanners and check points for frisking the people to minimise the risk of any attack,” said Mr Kumar.

The city police held meetings with all stakeholders on Thursday to assess their preparedness for dealing with any unforeseen incident or attack.

“As a cosmopolitan city, Bengaluru attracts lots of people from all over the state and country for direct and indirect jobs, higher education, healthcare, services, manufacturing and tourism.” said Mr Kumar.

The city police also detained several anti-social elements and mischief makers ahead of the assembly election to maintain law and order.

A suspected terror attack in December 2005 at the renowned Indian Institute of Science (IISc) claimed the life of professor and two persons were injured when an improvised device exploded at the cricket stadium in April 2010.C

The police also beefed up security and patrolling in Mysuru, about 150 km from Bengaluru, as thousands of tourists from across India and abroad visit the city as tourists.

Airline services have now resumed, but several flights are expected to be delayed

By Press Trust of India | Updated: 27 April 2019 12:13 ISTShare on FacebookTweetShareEmailRedditComment

[Nasheman news] Air India uses server software developed by Atlanta-based SITA company HIGHLIGHTS

• Due to the malfunction, boarding passes could not be issued
• The maintenance of SITA systems caused technical glitches
• Adding to the inconvenience, check-ins were also halted

Hundreds of Air India passengers were left stranded at several airports across the world as its check-in software stopped functioning for around six hours, the airline said Saturday. According to airline sources, the software, which is of Atlanta-based SITA company, was not functioning approximately from 3 am to 9 am Saturday. Consequently, boarding passes could not be issued at major airports across the world and various flights were delayed.

“The system has been restored. It has begun functioning. We regret the inconvenience that passengers had to face,” said the national carrier’s chairman and managing director Ashwani Lohani.

Lohani said that Air India uses a passenger services system, which looks after check-in, baggage and reservation, of the SITA company and “it was taken for maintenance today morning” by them. “After that, there were some technical glitches, because of which, the system was not functional.

There were some major problems at big airports such as Delhi,” he added. SITA regretted the inconvenience caused said it had experienced a complex system issue during server maintenance early morning which resulted in operational disruption to flights.

“We have now fully restored services at all airports where Air India were affected. Our priority remains, as always, to ensure a stable system where customers can conduct business efficiently and effectively, and we are undertaking a full investigation to understand the root cause and prevent a recurrence,” it said in a statement to PTI.

Many passengers vented their ire on social media as the airline could not issue them the boarding passes on Saturday morning. A Dr Sonal Saxena tweeted at 7.20 am, “Utter chaos. Air India systems not working at Delhi since 3 am. All flights grounded and delayed. No check-ins and boarding.”

The airline’s spokesperson had said at around 8 am, “SITA server is down. Due to which flight operation is affected. Our technical teams are on work and soon system may be recovered.”

A similar incident took place on June 23 last year when a technical glitch in the airline’s check-in software delayed 25 of its flights across India. The airline had tweeted on June 23, “Due to unexpexted network connectivity issues at SITA #Atlanta #Datacenter , which had a #worldwide impact, 25 flights were delayed from 1210 hrs to 1510 hrs on #Airindia network. Operations are normal now (sic).”

Post Srilanka attack,High Alert Sounded in Bengaluru

Highlights. 
* Deadly terror attack in Srilanka on April 21st 2019,More than 350 killed in this terror attack. 
* Ten Indians were killed in the deadly terror attack.
* Install surveillance cameras and hold security checks in accordance with the Karnataka Public Safety (Measures) Enforcement Act, 2017, and urged the stakeholders to maintain vigil.
* Apart from surveillance cameras, the management should also deploy baggage scanners and other security checks. 
* As the police cannot be present everywhere, people should be the eyes and ears of the force to help maintain law and order.
* The management of private institutions should seek the help of jurisdictional police for deployment of adequate security measures, and they should inform the police about any suspicious activities.He underscored the importance of hotels and lodges to record details of guests with copies of government-approved ID cards.
* Door frames and hand-held metal detectors with frisking of every individual should be put in place at strategic locations.

In light of the deadly terror attacks in Sri Lanka earlier this week, Bengaluru City Police Commissioner,T.Suneel Kumar,with Additional Commissioners,as,Alok Kumar,Seemanth Kumar Singh,BK Singh,DCPs as,Rahul.S,N.Shashi kumar, K.Annamalai,Ravi.D.Channanavar,MN Anucheth,Smt.Kala Krishnaswamy,Smt.Isha Pant,Vartika Katiyar,Devaraj,Girish.S,Abdul Ahad,S.Siddaraju,Smt.Sarah Fathima,with other DCPs and all ACPs,PIs,were present and they held a meeting at Commissioners office on Thursday with in-charges of religious institutions, shopping malls, and star hotels instructing them to escalate security measures.
The terror attacks on Easter Sunday in Colombo killed more than 350 innocent people including six children. Among the dead were 10 Indians including seven JD(S) functionaries from Tumakuru in Karnataka.  
In the meeting, all institutions which see a daily footfall of more than 500 people have been instructed to install CCTV cameras and increase security measures, including frisking of visitors.
In addition, the police have decided to set up ananti-terrorist cell in the city and have written to Karnataka government in this regard.
As part of the measures, the police convened a meeting with head of variousinstitutions, religious places and commercial establishment with a footfall of more than 500.
Key spots under high alert in Karnataka include the capital city, Bangalore airport, Mysore Palace, Chamundi Hills, KRS Dam, Brindavan Gardens and others. Karnataka State Industrial Security Force has been deployed to provide security to KRS Dam site along with the state police force.
All hotels, resorts and shopping malls in Bangalore have been strictly asked to install and mandatorily use hand-held and door frame metal detectors. 
Anything or any activity found suspicious in and around the city should be informed to the nearest police station.
Photo ID cards should be verified mandatorily before completing check-ins to hotels and lodges.
Mainly at Majestic Bus stand there should be frisking of each and every individual as from past so many months the metal detector installed is not working at all so many people said that the proper security arrangements should be done in Bus stand,Railway Station,Airport,temples,and other places also they should be vigil in escalating the security measures. 
Install surveillance cameras and hold security checks in accordance with the Karnataka Public Safety (Measures) Enforcement Act, 2017, and urged the stakeholders to maintain vigil.
Apart from surveillance cameras, the management should also deploy baggage scanners and other security checks.As the police cannot be present everywhere, people should be the eyes and ears of the force to help maintain law and order.
The management of private institutions should seek the help of jurisdictional police for deployment of adequate security measures, and they should inform the police about any suspicious activities. He underscored the importance of hotels and lodges to record details of guests with copies of government-approved ID cards.
Door frames and hand-held metal detectors should be put in place at strategic locations.
Many Netizens said we are safe when Bengaluru city police is with us. 
KIA sends a advisory message to passengers :

Passenger Advisory: The high-security alert at the #BLRAirport might mean some additional wait time, queues and delays. We are working hard to ensure your safety. Do plan your travel accordingly. Apologies for the inconvenience caused.
Bengaluru police commissioner,T.Suneel Kumar,with Addl CPs,as,Alok Kumar,Seemanth Kumar Singh,BK Singh with all DCPs were present at the conference after the meeting with all the religious people and their Incharge and with all the stake holders,addressing the press conference Suneel Kumar said,In the back drop of the incidents that have taken place on 21st April 2019 at Srilanka.We have had an immediate meeting of the Deputy Commissioners of the Bengaluru Zones and they have been already instructed earlier to immediately gather information about the religious places where there will be lot of congregation and also Malls and Hotels and they have been asked to immediately instruct and seek  cooperation from them.

Even after that the Bengaluru city police as commissioner we felt that we will have a direct direct dialogue with the people who matters in this institutions.The religious places that includes all types of religions,Muslims,Christians,Hindus where there will be lot of foot falls we wanted to talk to their management,talk to the trustees,talk to the board members.

Similarly the experience that revealed out in Srilanka that the people were moving casually with baggages without any checks all this things and in some hotels also explosions have taken place we wanted to alert our hotel friends also to escalate the security measures like baggage scanners,physical checking and frisking of each and every individuals and to also to find out is address proper address with their proper identity to be taken as it is more important as far as the hotels and places were He/She is going to stay and similarly the places were people are also take houses on rent the establishment of their identity is more important. In that reason also in that connection also we have called the people from various institutions and we have elaborated the security measures that they can be taken and also to sort their cooperation in maintaining vigil.

In these places this is the most important idea of calling this meeting they have Co-operated they have come in huge numbers and they have responded to our call.We hope that they are all with us and see that the vigil is continued.It is not a temperoary basis we want it to be a permanent basis that is the reason we have called them and we assured them our cooperation and they have also assured us that they will be with us.When asked is any high alert,Suneel Kumar said,no such type of high alert it is a general awareness and want to create at the highest level that is the reason we have called them directly here.He even said there is no threat call no high alert have been received in Bengaluru it is in general because it is for awareness not only for this incident this awareness will be created constantly and regularly also that is why we have called it in highest level my officers will be taking this exercise at the may be Division level or at the Sub-Division level.When asked sir any feedback you got from the people you met,Suneel Kumar said some of them have suggested certain things like they were talking about the security lapses at the Srilanka,He said I told them we are not the correct forum to discuss it.

Somebody was telling in airport and hotels nobody checked us we were walking freely when they went to bring the one of the dead body they were casual we said the president himself has accepted after the multiple blasts.Somebody was telling that there should be frequent checking of Hard disks and CCTV footages to be done.When asked about the proposal of ATC as Anti Terrorists Cell to be set up in Bengaluru he said the proposal has been sent to government as it will be a separate Anti Terrorists Cell wing and which will be set up at CCB office and we have instructed all the five and seven star hotels where more foreigners stay we have asked them to take their proper identity and their details correctly to be maintained he added.

By : Pramesh S Jain