Anti-terrorist cell,but where is it?

Anti-terrorist cell,but where is it?
The Times of India

Bangalore: When the Oct. 29 Delhi bombings killed over 60 persons, the city was put on red alert and security beefed up. Thanks to the anti-terrorist squad, the case was cracked quickly and it was established that a Pak-based terrorist outfit was involved in the blasts.

Bangalore too has an anti-terrorist cell, but only on paper.

“The cell is absolutely defunct,’’ stressed police officials, adding: “The city which has vital installations should have a well-networked anti-terrorist cell and a strong counter-intelligence system.”

The anti-terrorist squad was earlier attached to the additional director-general of police, law and order. It has now been rechristened the anti-terrorist cell and put under the intelligence department. The cell is headed by an IGP.

Counter-intelligence is almost unheard of in the state. It is a network where the police plant its personnel in the terrorist outfit, get information on its activities and smash it. Even as Bangalore was put on high alert three days ago (soon after the Delhi police intercepted some terrorists targeting vital installations across India), neither the intelligence nor the antiterrorist cell had any inkling about IISc being a soft target.

The police officers at the Sadashivanagar police station were just 20 seconds away from Wednesday’s crime scene. The police station next to the IISc campus is being renovated and its temporary location is very close to the auditorium. “They were trying to make a point. Yes, Bangalore was put on alert, but these are general alerts, not specific in nature. The central intelligence does not provide any specific information, but yes, the lapse was ours too,’’ admits a senior police officer.

TOOTHLESS TIGER
n Anti-terrorist squad helped in cracking Delhi blasts case.
n But one such squad in Karnataka is virtually defunct.
n Counter-intelligence is crucial. It plants a police mole in a terrorist outfit and smashes the network later on.