NEWS

Ajmer blast: No video footage despite CCTVs

By Vicky Nanjappa in Ajmer
October 13, 2007

Two days after terror struck the holy shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti at Ajmer, questions are being raised about the security. People say that at this time of the year, the number of people visiting the shrine is the highest and there should have been more security.

Despite the shrine being equipped with close circuit televisions, Additional Director General of Police A K Jain said the police will not have the benefit of visuals as no recording facility was available from the CCTVs.

This was the case in the Lubmini park blast at Hyderabad too. Ahmed Raza, the Dhargah Nazim, who was appointed by the Union government to look after the affairs of the shrine, says the management cannot be blamed for this. He says the recordings are the responsibility of the CID and it was their job to ensure that the cameras were functional.

"However, on Thursday (the day of the blasts) we checked the cameras and also repaired four cameras which were not functional. Whether the recording is available or not is not our job. The CID has a room in the premises where they have to take care of such things," he said.

The cops, however, denied reports that the CCTVs were intentionally damaged.

The allegations and counter allegations of the Nazim and the Khadims who have been at war over the management of the shrine is also not the reason for the blast, the cops say.

It is very clear that this is an act of terror and has to be probed deeper, the police say.

Meanwhile, the residents of Ajmer feel that there could have been more security at the holy shrine.  Especially since the security agencies know well that the shrine was on the terror list. The police rubbished this claim too and said terror attacks can take place in almost any part of the country and the need of the hour is a stronger mechanism to fight terror. Chief Minister Vasundara Raje also said that security was not slack. She said that the state has been witnessing an agitation by the Gujjars and hence there was a need to deploy forces there too.

Vicky Nanjappa in Ajmer

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