Republic Day vigil: UP police to check red, blue beacon vehicles

Uttar Pradesh police will keep an eye out for all blue and red beacon cars as part of the vigil for Republic Day after such a vehicle was used in the recent terror attack on the Pathankot air force base.

The directive was issued on Thursday to all the district police chiefs to remain alert for Republic Day and ensure checking of blue and red beacon vehicles after an alert was sounded on Wednesday following theft of a blue-beacon SUV of a senior IPS officer from Noida.

"Keeping in mind the Pathankot attack, where a blue-beacon vehicle was used to reach the airbase, it has been directed to check blue and red beacon vehicles ahead of Republic Day", IG (law and order), A Satish Ganesh, said. He said that the directive has been issued to all district police chiefs to remain alert and check guest houses, hotels, etc. as part of the security arrangements.

The blue-beacon vehicle of senior Punjab Police officer Salwinder Singh was hijacked by Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists before they entered the Pathankot base on the intervening night of December 31 and January 1.

The strike carried out by the terrorists at the strategic IAF base left seven security personnel dead. Six terrorists were killed in the gun battle that lasted three days. Bodies of four terrorists were recovered, while two others were believed to have been blown up.