Taking a cue from Friday’s terror attack at a hotel in Mali that reportedly killed 21 guests, including diplomats, an Indian security agency has advised all state police forces to be more vigilant dealing with vehicles bearing diplomatic number plates while maintaining decorum at the same time.
The concern, as per the police, emanated as one of three cars from which Mali attackers exited had a diplomatic number plate.
The police sources said that all state and Union Territories’ police, including the national capital, have been asked to chalk out a suitable strategy to check vehicles with diplomatic number plates to thwart any untoward incident in the future.
A highly-placed source in the Delhi police, on condition of anonymity, said: “We had been on high alert ever since Paris attacks have taken place and now the ambush in Mali has raised the threat.”
“It has come to fore that one of the cars in which assailants arrived on Friday bore diplomatic number plate due to which the terrorists could easily pass through security check points,” the source added.
“Of course we are looking into all these details and are learning lessons from attacks outside of our territory,” a senior Delhi police officer said, adding, “But, at the same time, we have to keep in mind the diplomatic decorum that has to be maintained.”
“We are, therefore, mulling to chalk out a suitable mechanism to check such vehicles which would not affect the diplomatic decorum while at the same time ensuring that the vehicles do not cross unchecked. Discussions on this are on at the highest level and no decision has been taken yet as it is a rudimentary stage,” he added.
The Delhi police has a dedicated unit — diplomatic security force (DSF) — to ensure security at the embassies and other diplomatic enclaves in the capital across the city, especially in Chanakyapuri, where most of the embassies are housed. Additional DCP, New Delhi district, is the supervisory in-charge of this unit. “Meetings are being conducted at the DSF unit in this regard as well,” said the police source, adding, “Lutyens’ Zone has been on high alert since Paris attack as it is vulnerable to terror attacks.”
