 "Security personnel walk at the Rajpath near India Gate in New Delhi")
In the second such incident in the national capital region, car of an army officer was stolen from a south Delhi area today, sending alarm bells ringing here ahead of the Republic Day parade which will be attended by top Indian leaders and French President Francois Hollande.
The national capital is already on high alert as security remains beefed up ahead of Republic Day celebrations following inputs regarding the presence of key members of several terror outfits here. The inputs were received immediately after the Pathankot attack.
Around 2.30 p.m today, the Santro car of a Colonel rank army officer, who is presently pursuing a medical course at AIIMS, went missing from near the post office in Lodhi Colony, police said.
There are two stickers on the windshield of the car, one pertaining to a premier medical institute and the other of an Army Officers' club in Dhaula Kuan. The car has a Haryana registration number.
"A case has been registered under relevant sections of the law and probe is underway," DCP (South) Prem Nath said.
Following the incident, an alert was issued in all police stations and picketings were intensified, police said.
This comes close on the heels of a similar incident wherein the car of an IG rank officer with a central security force was stolen from his residence in Noida Sector 23. The vehicle has not been tracked down yet.
On Friday, Delhi Police had issued an alert about a cab whose driver was killed and the vehicle robbed of from Pathankot, reminiscent of the Pathankot attack. The body of the driver was found at a bridge in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district, police said.
Security was taken a notch higher with the arrival of Hollande, who is the chief guest in this year's Republic Day celebrations, in the national capital today.
At least 10 major heavily-guarded pickets were set up in each police district and commandos were fanned across the city with emphasis on popular markets and vital installations, a senior official said.
Police duty in the city borders has also been intensified and police in UP and Haryana have been informed about the stealing of the army officer's car.
