Rajasthan: Security agencies conduct mock drill at RBI office

Late on Thursday night, panic struck the security agencies in the city when the information spread that armed terrorists entered the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) building located on Tonk road near Rambagh Circle and brought the police to its feet. Immediately, orders were issued for the cops and various security agencies, fire brigades to reach the spot. The sudden development shocked the authorities and as the officials assembled at the spot and cordoned off the area, a huge traffic jam occurred at the spot.

The news about the terrorists spread after midnight around 2 AM. Seeing the surge in a number of police and security vehicles, locals and passers-by stopped to inquire. However, it was not a real terrorist attack as the people had thought seeing the sheer number of armed men, rather a mock drill was being conducted at RBI where the scenario of a terrorist attack was being played.

As the mock drill began, first information was passed on to the police control room that terrorists have attacked the RBI building and holding few men as a hostage. The information was immediately passed on to the senior commissionerate officials who issued orders for the armed force to rush to the spot, while senior cops also reached. Meanwhile, the information was shared with the National Security Guards (NSG) who also took part in the mock drill.

Along with the officials from Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Special Operations Group (SOG), Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS), and even few army officials, the cops from Jaipur Commissionerate reached the spot and cordoned the area. Officials from the RBI were also contacted who reached the place and informed the NSG and other security officials about the building and its various floors so that the teams can infiltrate easily. This also provided them with an idea where the terrorists could be hiding during a gun fight or where they could have set up traps for the teams.

Taking into account the eventualities of a bomb being planted, the NSG team entered the building with a view to neutralising the threat. The team searched the floors and entered in a firefight with the mock terrorists who were nabbed. The BDS and dog squad was then called inside the building which searched the entire compound for any bomb planted and thus the threat posed by the terrorists was successfully negated.

Meanwhile, the entire exercise was evaluated by various agencies on the spot and the shortcomings were analysed. The analysis would help the officials in streamlining the drills.