Thaindian News

Bangalore, Sep 8 (IANS) The Karnataka High Court in the city centre would be fortified from Friday with entry for the public regulated to ensure safety and security in the premises, Bangalore Police Commissioner Jyotiprakash Mirji said Thursday.

“Restrictions will be imposed in and around the high court complex from Friday to regulate the movement of general public and vehicles as a precautionary measure in light of the terror blast near the Delhi High Court Wednesday,” Mirji told reporters here.

Five specified gates will be earmarked to regulate the entry and exit of judges, VIPs, lawyers and litigants in the complex.

Judges and VIPs will be allowed entry and exit through gate number one, court employees and officials gate number two, lawyers gate number three, litigants and public gate number four and exit for all except judges and VIPs gate from number five.

“Parking will be banned in front of the court complex and 20 vehicles of judges will be allowed to be parked from Friday. We are installing five closed circuit television cameras (CCTVs) and scanners at the entry gates by Sep 12. In addition, five counters will be opened in the complex to check luggage or boxes brought to the court by anyone,” Mirji said.

Urging the public not to panic or spread rumours, the commissioner said additional police personnel would be deployed from Friday at the high court, the state secretariat (Vidhana Soudha and Vikasa Soudha), railway stations, the inter-state bus stand, crowded market places, shopping malls and at the international airport to enhance security and instill confidence in the public.

Admitting the union home ministry had alerted the city police about terrorists’ plans to target high courts and other vital installations in the cities, including Bangalore, Mirji said there would be greater coordination and regular meetings between the central and state intelligence bureaus to thwart any untoward incidents.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda and Home Minister R. Ashoka held a series of meetings with top police officials to review the safety and security measures in the city and across the state in the aftermath of the blast in Delhi, which claimed 12 lives and injured over 70 people.

In a related development, hundreds of lawyers staged held rallies and sit-in demonstrations in Bangalore, Mysore, Hubli, Belgaum, Davenagere and Chitradurga in protest against the blast at the Delhi High Court and sought security to all courts across the state.