Hyderabad hotels, lodges under scanner

Cops had no clue about accused involved in temple desecration staying in a hotel nearby with 50 others

Hyderabad: While the police continue their investigation in the Secunderabad temple desecration case and the public remains wary of similar incidents, there are concerns calling for a more robust approach in intelligence gathering on part of the police.

The perpetrator involved in vandalising the temple was found to be staying along with 150 others in a nearby hotel participating in a programme by motivational speaker Munawar Zama and others. The local police booked a case against Zama and others for allegedly provoking hatred among communities.

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However, the local police appear to have been clearly oblivious of such a gathering at the hotel and ‘classes’ held without permission of any sorts. In what could be inferred as a failure in collecting and collating intel on the ground, the police did not have any information of the event so close to the busiest railway hub, bustling with tourists and travellers and a commercial corridor apart from residential areas.

The hotel apparently was not providing the list of its guests to the local police who are expected to mandatorily keep an eye on hotels and guest houses and collect guest lists on a daily basis and examine it. The surveillance apparatus seems to have missed out the happenings in the hotel that ended up stirring a communal cauldron in the city. Given the strategic importance of the Secunderabad railway station, the local police are expected to maintain high vigilance. Authorities usually rely on CCTV surveillance and patrol teams to monitor potential disruptions in this transit hub.

However, the North Zone police say there was adequate visible policing and patrolling in the area. “Our patrolling vehicle had visited the spot just a few minutes before the temple desecration incident. Even after receiving a call, our team reached in less than 10 minutes,” said S Rashmi Perumal, DCP, North Zone.

The particular hotel kept renting out rooms concealing it was for a training purpose. Due to irregularities including no proper registry and information to the local police, it was seized and the licence also cancelled, she added. They are now looking into how the meeting went undetected. “We are checking the hotel guest records and CCTV footage from the area. We are also questioning the hotel staff,” the officer said. The local police said they are conducting a detailed investigation including having no inputs from intelligence and special branch and have promised to increase patrols in the area.

CP calls for increased vigil

Hyderabad Police Commissioner C V Anand on Friday held a review meet with the special branch officers and stressed the need for continuous surveillance on those who come to the city from outside. “Many people come to the city from outside and stay in hotels and basthis. There is a need for constant surveillance on such people. Any suspicious activity or suspicious person should be immediately reported to higher officials. This could thwart any untoward incident in future,” Anand said.

Intelligence, SB, local police guidelines

*Hotels and lodges should install CCTV cameras with backup
*Keep proper register of visitors and submit daily entries to the local police station
*They should also keep records of ID proof for all guests
*Obtain permission from the local police for any commercial events
*Ensure sufficient security guards and metal detectors
*Hotels and lodges will be held accountable if their premises are used for illegal activities such as prostitution or drug peddling
*Adhere to legal regulations, including the Telangana State Public Safety Act and trade license requirements
*For events that run until midnight, organisers should apply for permission from the Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad 10 days in advance