Bombs were planted in high surveillance zone

BANGALORE, INDIA: The security assurance given by Karnataka authorities for IPL matches following the blast at Chinnaswamy Stadium seems to have no ground, because the incident points to clear case of security lapse on the part of the personnel who guarded the stadium.

On a close observation of the site it can be seen that the bombers dared to plant bombs in a high-surveillance area. Interestingly, one place where the crude bombs were planted is located in between the ranges of two analog surveillance cameras, which have a range from 100 to 200 metres.

The first bomb that exploded in the afternoon at around 3.05 pm on April 17 was planted on the wall close to gate 12. This gate is less than 10 metres away from the surveillance camera at gate 10.

“The surveillance cameras installed in and around the stadium are placed in a manner that we can watch every nook and corner of the stadium. These cameras have a range of 100 to 200 meter,” said a Karnataka State Cricket Association official while speaking to CIOL on condition of anonymity.

There are other cameras close to gate 16 and inside gate 13, which give a pan coverage to the promenade outside stadium where the first blast took place. These cameras are monitored manually round the clock and if the authorities had vigilantly monitored the camera regularly, they would have found out the planting of the bomb well in advance.

If, for argument's sake we agree that the bombs went off immediately after planting the same, then too, it shows serious security lapse, because, in a high security zone, how can somebody a plant bomb, that too in multiple locations? Something is stinking somewhere.

We have to remember that even the burst of a cracker during the cricket match would have caused a stampede if it had happened inside the stadium. Is it that we are waiting for tragedies to happen to act!

These cameras had been installed before the beginning of this season's tournament and are kept continuously on for surveillance.

Chinnaswami Stadium authorities have installed 34 surveillance camera in and around the stadium with an investment of Rs 20 lakh on the entire set-up.

The KSCA official mentioned that the entire security responsibility was handed over to the police for which the association has paid Rs 27 lakh to the police department for security arrangement throughout the tournament.

“We have also deployed private security personnel but they don't have specialized training. They are good enough to check people entering into the ground and manage crowds. For high level security arrangement, we were totally depended on police administration,” said the official.

More shocking is that despite the availability of the surveillance camera footage, police was unable to trace the fourth bomb, even hours after the first blast took place. The last bomb was recovered around 8 am on April 18 from a bus stand near Chinnaswamy stadium, a day after IPL match between Royal Challengers and Mumbai Indians was played on the same ground.

There were more than 40,000 spectators present along with cricket players from IPL team of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians in ground.

Police department is now said to be analyzing the footage obtained from the surveillance camera and claims to get breakthrough soon. Though CIOL tried to contact the Bangalore police for further information there was no response from them till the story was published.