HYDERABAD: “Hyderabadis need not panic. We are alert and taking all measures for the safety of the people,’’ assured Police Commissioner AK Khan here on Thursday, a day after serial blasts rocked Mumbai. However, he said they were tracking five terror modules involved in earlier attacks in the State capital.Without naming the modules, Khan said their members, some of whom are in prison, had been kept under surveillance. Notwithstanding the commissioner’s assurances, intelligence sources told Express that “Hyderabad is still a desired target of the terrorists.” Khan along with Additional Director General of Police (law and order) M Ratan and Cyberabad Police Commissioner Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao addressed a joint press conference after Director General of Police V Dinesh Reddy reviewed the security situation in the State at the City Police Commissioner’s Office at Basheerbagh.The trio clarified that there was no specific terror alert to the City but that the police were on high alert. “We are tracking the associates of those who were arrested in terror-related cases.We are also keeping tabs on those who were arrested earlier but are presently out of prison. There are some others who have not been arrested. They might even have left the country,’’ Khan said.He further said extra security measures were being taken for producing terror elements at courts, particularly the criminal courts complex at Nampally.“We have activated our anti-terror measures that we implemented last year,’’ he added.After the Mumbai blasts, 10 anti-sabotage teams were formed and two teams, with the help of sniffer dogs, have been conducting checks at malls, multiplexes and other crowded places in each zone.Five more teams have been formed Thursday and they are checking identified targets like tourist spots, parking lots and bus-stands. The anti-sabotage teams checked parking lots specifically identifying vehicles parked for a long time.“Yesterday night itself, our teams have checked 41,000 bags and such other luggage at railway stations.More than 17,000 two and four wheelers were checked during frisking. Nakabandi was held at 37 places in the City,’’ Khan said.The police will also be focusing on lodges in the next few days.Khan appealed to the people to inform the police about any suspicious objects or people.“We received a good number of calls regarding suspicious objects or people which is a good sign. I received 37 such calls since last night,’’ he said.The top police officer also made it clear that notices would be served on the managements of malls that do not adhere to security norms.He said the coming days would be crucial as a slew of religious activities were set to take place beginning with Guru Purnima on Friday.Ratan said all the district superintendents and commissioners of police were asked to be alert.At Tirumala, security has been beefed up and Octopus kept on high alert.Apart from the city police control room, Ratan said the general public can inform the police about suspicious people or objects on the state police control room numbers 23239922 or 23239900.
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