Nervous Cops Carry Out House Searches

T Sunil Reddy / TNN / Mar 3, 2006, 03:08 IST

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An unprecedented security blanket has been thrown around Hyderabad on the eve of George Bush's visit to the city.

HYDERABAD: An unprecedented security blanket has been thrown around Hyderabad on the eve of George Bush's visit to the city on Friday.
Even as house-to-house searches are being conducted at places in Rajendranagar where the Acharya N G Ranga Agriculture University (Angrau) is located and at Gachibowli where the Indian School of Business is located, an 'eye in the sky' will ensure George Bush's security in Hyderabad.
Highly informed sources told TOI that powerful satellites have already begun watching at least 10 places of worship in the Old City and Mehdipatnam, Langer Houz and Attapur where large-scale anti-Bush protests are expected to take place.
All the roads leading to Angrau and ISB are being similarly watched. The images, if sources are to be believed, are being relayed to the communications centre set up at ITC Kakatiya Sheraton by the US Secret Service. The US agents are sharing the images with the state intelligence department for follow-up action.

Also, the security agencies have installed an air-defence mechanism over a 10-km radius from the two venues being visited by Bush. Any suspicious object, including helicopters or planes crossing the red zone, will be shot down.
A road-scanning device has been set up at the entrance to Angrau and ISB to check vehicles moving into the campuses.
Functioning like an x-ray machine, the device will scan the entire vehicle including its understructure and present the images on a giant screen being set up in an adjoining area. So far, police were using hand-held mirrors to scan vehicles at high-security events.

Though a 12,000-strong state police force is being deployed in the streets and around venues for the Bush visit, only six officers from the state would get a chance to see the president from close proximity.
A 300-strong US security contingent would provide both inner and close-proximate cover to the president. Meanwhile, plainclothes policemen with small arms will camp in colonies around Angrau and ISB until Air Force One leaves Hyderabad.
In addition to the 12,000-strong police force, 65 sniffer dogs and 145 bomb-disposal teams too have begun scanning every inch of the university and ISB campuses for explosives.
A total of 180 checkpoints have been set up to screen visitors, while 345 counter-action teams will be posted at vantage points to take on any eventuality.

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