Bhubaneswar, Jan. 28: Security has been beefed up in the court of a special CBI judge here following a bomb blast that took place in the complex yesterday.
Policemen were today deployed at all entrances to the court. Besides, a metal detector was installed at the front gate of the building. A section of policemen were guarding various entry and exit gates of the court building.
Though the deployed police personnel had been checking identity cards of the people coming to the court in the first hour, it was later stopped.
However, advocates were sceptical if the security arrangements would stay for long. “In the past, we had seen security tightened following certain threat perceptions, but later, things were back to square one. Authorities must ensure proper security in the court, where all the criminals are brought regularly,” said lawyer Ashok Badapanda. He said that last year, the advocates had detained a man carrying a pistol with him inside the court and handed him over to the police.
Yesterday, Upendra Mohanty, 63, who had spent 30 years in jail, hurled three crude bombs inside the court just after the judge left the room for lunch. Though none was injured, the low intensity bombs damaged some furniture.
In another development, the metal detector, which was installed this morning, was seen switched off later, but a policeman was seen standing with a scanner machine near the gate.
However, a senior police officer said that when undertrial prisoners were brought to the court, policemen escorted them. He conceded that it was not possible to check around 10,000 people, including litigants, advocates and judicial staff members, daily and put up metal detector at all entry points on the premises. “Carrying out security checks is not always possible as our people have to face resistance from lawyers as well as litigants,” said the officer.
Police commissioner R.P. Sharma said the accused, who was arrested yesterday, had been forwarded to the court. “We have increased the security in the court following the incident,” said Sharma.