Obama in India: Government tightens airport security

MUMBAI: Indian airports have stepped up security measures ahead of US President Barack Obama's visit to the country. Obama is expected to land in India on January 25, a day before the Republic Day celebrations, in which he will be the chief guest.

"We have special drills on at 59 airports across the country wherein we check the readiness of the security staff," said Hemendra Singh, chief of public relations at the Central Industrial Security Force ( CISF).

He, however, added that no additional personnel have been deployed at any of the airports. Once the US President lands, US security officials are likely to man a section of the Delhi airport, said a source.

The drills undertaken by the CISF entail insiders passing off as normal passengers and testing the security arrangements for loopholes. A media report on Tuesday said that such a decoy team managed to get through security with fake tickets. Singh, however, didn't comment on the report.

Checks in Delhi are especially stringent, according to the airport staff.

"Security checks are stricter and a higher amount of time is spent on each passenger. Not only are passengers made to take off jackets, but also shoes if they have high heels," said an employee at the airport. "They have also started to thoroughly check passengers arriving at the airport using the Metro train line. Unless it's acute rush hour, those passengers too are scanned, frisked and made to take off jackets," he added.

Mumbai airport has stopped issuing entry passes to non-passengers - show owners, etc - till January 30, said an executive. Last week, information alerts that terrorists may try to hijack an Air India plane to Kandahar led to beefing up of security at the airports. In 1999, a flight operated by the national carrier carrying 176 passengers between Kathmandu and Delhi was hijacked and forced to land at Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Mumbai airport has also witnessed instances of graffiti at terminals and toilets threatening attacks.