Hyderabad: In Sultan Bazaar, Koti and surrounding places, there are shops frequented by hundreds of customers every day.
The market’s narrow lanes get busy by evening with tourists, students, and customers.
Seven years ago a high intensity bomb went off in the famous eatery Gokul Chat. Minutes before that, five km away, another blast rocked Lumbini Park on the banks of Hussainsagar. 42 people were killed in the blasts and around 50 were critically injured. The terror group had found the market vulnerable as there was no security.
Seven years later, things have not changed much. Despite police orders, many shopkeepers are reluctant to adopt security measures. Shopkeepers fear that installing security cameras in their establishments and giving access to police would expose the ‘illegal activities’ at the shops. Though some have installed CCTV cameras inside their buildings, none of them meet the standards set by the police. Most shops do not have cameras at entry points and outside to cover streets, which is most crucial.
“We conducted a meeting with the shopkeepers’ association a week ago. Most of them fear that cameras would backfire on them. We clearly told them we need cameras only at entry and exit points and not inside,” said a senior official.
Meanwhile, top cops say measures like regular anti-sabotage checks, visible policing, informants, and mufti cops are in place at these markets. “We conduct frequent bomb checks here. We have several men both in mufti and uniform,” said a senior cop.
