Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 22: Police in entire Northern India especially in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and New Delhi was put on very high alert after the driver of a taxi hired by three unidentified persons was found dead in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh in the aftermath of the terror attack on Pathankot air base on January 2 in which 13 persons including seven security personnel, one of them a Lieutenant Colonel and six militants were killed.
Official sources told the Excelsior that all three States of North have been put on alert following inputs that three persons, who had hijacked white-colour Alto taxi bearing No. 2440 HP01D and killed its driver Vijay Kumar, a resident of village Gaggal in Kangra district, were on the run and could be the militants.
“Though the trio can be the criminals and might have killed the Alto taxi driver on trivial issue but we are not taking any chance as Pathankot attack was also committed in the similar manner,’’ sources said pointing out that the Pathankot airbase attackers after entering into the Indian territory had hijacked SP Salwinder Singh’s vehicle to reach Pathankot.
Sources disclosed that all sensitive installations of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and New Delhi have been put on very high alert with all police stations, police posts and nakas being flashed registration number of the taxi and asked to look for all white-coloured Alto cars passing the barriers.
“We are taking this matter very seriously and we are making efforts to locate the missing taxi,” sources said.
The taxi driver, identified as Vijay Kumar, a resident of Gaggal village in Kangra district, was found dead on Wednesday at the Kalta bridge in Kangra and his taxi missing, sources said.
However, they added that the Alto taxi had not been hired from Pathankot. “Neither the taxi was hired from Pathankot nor the incident (recovery of body) has happened in Pathankot,” they said but added that entire Punjab along with Himachal Pradesh and New Delhi have been put on high alert.
Noting that police has inquired the matter, sources said three Punjabi-speaking persons had hired the taxi from Gaggal in Kangra district for Pathankot.
“Three Punjabi-speaking people had hired the taxi from Gaggal at 8 pm on January 14. But on Wednesday, the body of the driver was recovered from the subdivision Jawali in Himachal Pradesh, which is about 40-50 kilometers from Pathankot,” sources said.
Police in the national capital of New Delhi has also sounded an alert and asked citizens to stay vigilant.
“The Alto car is missing. Search operations are on. Stay Alert!” the pinned tweet on Delhi Police’s official handle read.
Asked on the threat perception, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi urged people in the city to remain alert without disclosing any further details citing security concerns.
The alert was issued in the backdrop of the attack on IAF base in Pathankot where terrorists had first killed a cab driver and robbed his car before launching the strike on January 2.
Seven security personnel were killed and several others injured in the terror strike carried out by militants suspected to be belonging to Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed. All six terrorists were also killed in the gun fight that continued for three days.
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