New Delhi:
Car thefts are not new to Delhi but this one had the security establishment in a tizzy. That's because the car - belonging to a VIP - had tags required for access to Parliament.
Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan's Bolero was found abandoned early on Tuesday, at Mahilpaur near Delhi's international airport. It was stolen on Sunday night from his driver's residence in R K Puram.
Rehman Khan's driver is being interrogated in the case. But theimpunity with which the car thieves have got away with a VIP's car isundoubtedly an embarrassment for the police.
The driver says he parked the car here at around 4 am, and just over an hour later, he heard someone start the car and drive away. The driver also says he chased them but the car just sped away.
What sent the security establishment into a tizzy was the access this car had to Parliament, courtesy a radio frequency tag which allows it to enter the high-security zone. But authorities said there was no security threat.
Here's why: When a vehicle drives up to Parliament, the first security check is about 10-15 feet from the main gate. Here, the Radio Frequency (RF) tag on the vehicle is read by a machine. Since the RF tag on the stolen car was disabled immediately, authorities say there was no threat to Parliament.
More security checks follow. The vehicle's registration plate and RF tag are then matched. The security guard then visually confirms the authenticity of the car sticker and the occupants and only then do the auto barriers opens. CCTV also records who is letting the vehicle in. After this there are more layers of automated barricades, including a CRPF post. The vehicle has to clear all this to access any area in Parliament.