A jawan of the Special Action Force of the city police posted at the entrance to The Oberoi Grand. Picture by Aranya Sen

The terror attacks in Mumbai have changed the way Calcuttans used to go around. Constant surveillance and random frisking are now the daily routine at star hotels, malls and multiplexes, and on the roads.

Metro ran a check on what it means for Calcuttans to be on high alert.

Star hotels

The Mehtas of Ballygunge were surprised when all six members of the family were asked to step out of their Innova at the main gate of Taj Bengal on Friday night and the vehicle was searched by a sniffer dog. “It was a strange feeling. Something like this has never happened before,” said Vinay Mehta.

Other star hotels, too, have beefed up security, while cops have been deployed at the gates. A senior officer said Park Street, New Market and Alipore police stations were in touch with the authorities of three star hotels.

“The managements have been asked to provide the layouts of their establishments,” he added.

S.S. Mukherji, the vice-chairman of EIH Ltd that runs the Oberoi properties, said: “I have learnt that special commandos have been posted at our Calcutta hotel. It may not be specific to our hotel... It’s too early to comment on specific measures we as a company will take at the Grand in Calcutta.”

Malls and multiplexes

Senior police officers reviewed security at markets, malls and multiplexes on Sunday. “On Thursday evening, we had gone to Forum on Elgin Road for shopping. While parking the car, one of the guards asked for my driving licence,” said Vinay Jhunjhunwala, a businessman in central Calcutta.

Management student Tanya Ray had to clear a three-tier security at City Centre on Saturday afternoon before she could watch Dostana in INOX. Shoppers were frisked at all five entrances to City Centre and every car was checked.

Driving and parking

Next time you drive your car or two-wheeler, do remember to carry your driving licence and your vehicle’s blue book. Vigilance on the streets has been beefed up, with vehicles being randomly checked and papers scanned.

“We are checking the identity of the people entering the city. Cabs and two-wheelers are also being checked,” a sergeant at the Ultadanga crossing said on Saturday night.

Two constables have been deployed at each parking lot to keep a tab on the vehicles. Cooperatives running the parking lots, too, have been put on alert.

“Officers from the local police station asked us to report about abandoned vehicles,” said Manoj Kumar Shaw of Shree Ganesh Cooperative, which runs a few parking lots around Mohammad Ali Park in central Calcutta.

Fear of travelling

Travelling out of Calcutta, especially to Mumbai and other western Indian cities, has dropped following the terror attacks.

Sources in the Airline Operators’ Committee said flights to Mumbai had been recording 10-15 per cent cancellation, on an average, daily.

There have also been significant cancellations on the Jaipur and Ahmedabad routes. “The terror strikes have led to a spurt in cancellations. We have no clue how long the trend will continue,” said an official of Jet Airways.

Trains on the Mumbai-Calcutta route, too, have been hit hard by cancellations.