The Hindu : National : None knew Railways would be targeted: Patil

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 19, 2006

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National

None knew Railways would be targeted: Patil

Meena Menon

R. R. Patil

MUMBAI: Deputy Chief Minister R.R. Patil on Tuesday defended the Maharashtra Government against criticism that it did not heed Central intelligence warnings about the July 11 train blasts in Mumbai.

Even the Prime Minister said there was no precise information on where the attacks would take place. No one knew that the target would be the Railways, Mr. Patil told The Hindu in an interview.

"The railway police number about 3,500. There are 75 lakh commuters everyday who use the local trains. At Churchgate itself, every minute there are 3,500 people entering the station. About 70 per cent of them carry some form of luggage. It takes one minute at least to check a person."

However, that did not mean the State had no role. Increasing intelligence and stepping up security along the rail track were the only way out. The number of railway police personnel was increased by 800.

Another 1,300 persons would be brought in, said Mr. Patil, who is in charge of the Home protfolio.

"The Prime Minister has also spoken of cross-border terrorism and this is a signal for us to step up intelligence gathering." So far, State intelligence was confined to gathering information on gangsters or political outfits. That needed to change immediately. If cross-border terrorism was rearing its head, the State must scale up intelligence gathering across the board. The system of deputing personnel from the police to the State Intelligence Department would be replaced with direct recruitment of 50 per cent of the department staff. They would be given professional training in intelligence gathering, Mr. Patil said.

Since July 11, the State Government has been drawing flak for its track record in investigations into the previous blasts.

"Yes, I have faced many questions," he admitted. As the cases were in court, he did not want to comment. The trial of the 1993 serial blasts ended over three years ago but there was no judgment. There should be fast track courts to try cases of terrorism.

Refusing to divulge information on the status of the investigation into the July 11 blasts, Mr. Patil said it would be premature to reveal anything. It would not be proper to reveal if there was any link between the seizure of arms and explosives in Aurangabad and other places in May and the blasts.

On the Opposition's allegations and media reports that there were differences among the various departments of the police as well as intelligence agencies and senior police officials, Mr. Patil said differences existed everywhere.

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