The Hindu : National : Maurya Sheraton under thick security blanket

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 27, 2006

National

National

Maurya Sheraton under thick security blanket

Devesh K. Pandey

Bush is scheduled to stay at the hotel

NEW DELHI: With just two days left for the arrival of the U.S. President George W. Bush here, a three-layer security cordon is in place in and around Maurya Sheraton where he is scheduled to stay.

For the past few months, the hotel has been a hub of activity, bristling with intelligence and security agencies personnel.

Sophisticated bomb detection devices are being used to screen the premises, including the 600 rooms booked for the visiting dignitaries. The hotel has been declared a high security zone. Besides President Bush and First Lady Laura, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will also be put up at the same hotel.

Apart from the commandos of the Delhi police and the National Security Guard, para-military personnel will be deployed in and outside Maurya Sheraton as part of a peripheral security ring. For President Bush's cavalcade, both carriageways along the route would be closed to traffic and constant air surveillance maintained, according to police sources.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made for his visit to the Rajghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi, and to the Purana Qila, where he is scheduled to address prominent political leaders and industrialists on March 2. Plainclothes intelligence agents in coordination with the Special Cell and the Special Branch of the Delhi police have been keeping round-the-clock surveillance there for the past many days.

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