An alert was issued by the Delhi police on Friday, after the driver of a taxi allegedly hijacked by three unidentified men from Pathankot was found murdered, sparking security concerns in the midst of a nationwide crackdown on suspected Islamic State terrorists. The Police has released the photographs of the suspects and details of the vehicle through its official Twitter handle.
The driver of the vehicle, identified as Vijay Kumar, was later found dead at the Kalta bridge in Kangra, police said. The vehicle was registered in Himachal Pradesh.

“There is no need to panic, but we urge people to stay alert. Citizens should inform the police control room if they see any suspicious activity around them,” said deputy commissioner of police Rajan Bhagat said.

“We are taking no chances. We are not allowing anyone to park their cars near India Gate. The lawns have been closed. We are not allowing tourists to stand on the road for long. They can take pictures and leave quickly,” said a senior police officer.

The alert came amidst heightened security in the Capital ahead of the Republic Day celebrations, to be attended by French President Francois Hollande as the chief guest.

The fresh terror alert came amid raids across the country by sleuths of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in search of suspected Islamic State terrorists, sources said.

Earlier, police has arrested four men from Uttarakhand on suspicion of planning an attack in Delhi. Security officials said that the four had been under surveillance for several months after their online activities drew suspicion, including contacts with people in the territory of Iraq and Syria controlled by the Islamic State group.

The French consulate on Thursday received a letter warning against its president’s presence at the Republic Day celebrations. Police are investigating the source of the letter, which said Francoise Hollande should cancel his trip to India beginning Sunday.

By Premji