New Delhi: The government had intelligence
inputs to indicate that Pune was vulnerable to terror attack,
based on which the state police issued detailed security
guidelines last year to major commercial establishments,
including the German Bakery.
A blast in the popular bakery in the city on February
13 had claimed 17 lives.
In a reply in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Home
Affairs Ajay Maken said, "The suspected main targets in Pune
were put under protection by deployment of force including
pickets. However, due to obvious limitation of manpower it was
not possible to bring all public places under police security
cover."
"There were intelligence inputs to indicate that certain
places in Pune and some other cities in India, were on the
target list of terrorist outfits. Accordingly on October 9,
2009 as a preventive step the state police had issued detailed
security guidelines to major commercial establishments
including the German Bakery...The terrorists succeeded in
attacking a `soft` target," he said.
The Minister also said an expenditure of Rs 33.17 crore
has been incurred on strengthening the Multi Agency Centre.
PTI
