PANAJI
After the deadly explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort Metro Station, Goa has been placed on high alert. The police have stepped up checking and patrolling across sensitive areas and border points.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday confirmed that precautionary steps have been taken across the State following the Delhi blast. “After the Delhi blast, we have taken precautionary measures and put the State on high alert,” he told reporters in Panaji.
Soon after the November 10 blast, Goa Police launched extensive checking drives across the State, verifying over 2,000 people and more than 1,000 vehicles in a single night. Security checks were carried out at border posts, railway stations, and major junctions, along with nakabandis.
Sources said all senior police officers, including Superintendents of Police, DySPs, and Police Inspectors, have been instructed to remain on the ground and maintain strict vigilance.
“We are entering the peak tourist season, and as a popular destination, precautionary measures are essential. Our regular checks were ongoing, but the Delhi blast has prompted us to intensify operations across Goa. Also, several persons with criminal backgrounds, including an associate of Dawood Ibrahim, were arrested recently. Hence, stronger security measures are necessary,” a source said.
Police and district officials have also inspected temples and other places of worship that attract large crowds, especially during ongoing temple festivals.
In South Goa, district police carried out nakabandis at multiple locations on the night of November 10, checking 1,038 people and 670 vehicles.
“In view of the deadly explosion in Delhi, security across South Goa has been tightened. Nakabandis have been increased, along with intensified night patrolling, verification of suspicious vehicles, and close monitoring of crowded public places,” said South Goa Superintendent of Police Tikam Singh Verma.
He added that railway stations, the airport, marketplaces, and other busy areas are under strict surveillance.
“The nakabandis are also meant to detect and prevent illegal activities such as drug trafficking, drunken driving, vehicle theft, and movement of antisocial elements,” the officer said, adding that suspected persons found loitering without purpose were questioned and preventive action was taken as per law.
