Delhi Police Conduct Anti-Terror Drill at Palika

Delhi Police conducted a large-scale anti-terror mock drill at Palika Bazar in Connaught Place on May 17, according to police and local media reports. The New Delhi district police said the exercise was designed to test operational preparedness and coordination among agencies handling terror-related emergencies. (theweek.in) The drill ran from 10:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. inside and around the underground market, one of central Delhi’s busiest commercial sites. Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma said police activated emergency systems after receiving information about suspicious terrorist activity. ### Why was Palika Bazar chosen for the exercise? Palika Bazar, located in Connaught Place, is a crowded underground market in the New Delhi district, and police used it to simulate a high-footfall emergency setting. (theweek.in) The New Delhi district police said the scenario involved a terrorist and hostage-like situation, allowing officers to test containment and rescue procedures in a dense public space. Connaught Place is a central commercial hub with heavy pedestrian traffic, and the drill’s location meant police could rehearse a response in a place where evacuation, access control and communications would be critical. Police did not report any real threat linked to the exercise and described it as a preparedness measure. (theweek.in) ### Which agencies took part in the mock drill? The New Delhi district police said teams from local police units, SWAT commandos, the Bomb Disposal Squad, the Dog Squad, Delhi Fire Services, Police Control Room units, CATS ambulance services and the New Delhi Municipal Council took part. The mix of agencies reflected the kind of multi-department response police say would be required in a live emergency. (theweek.in) Sachin Sharma said the area was cordoned off and that tactical intervention exercises, area domination drills and anti-sabotage checks were carried out in and around the market. Police said the exercise was meant to assess how those units worked together under a simulated threat alert. (theweek.in) ### What exactly did police simulate inside the market? Police said the drill began after information was received about suspicious terrorist activity inside the market area. Officers then staged a rescue operation in which two civilians were evacuated and shifted to Lady Hardinge Medical College for emergency treatment, according to Sharma. (theweek.in) Two simulated terrorists were shown apprehended during the exercise, and police displayed recovered weapons including an AK-47 rifle. In a related scenario near Palika Bazar, teams intercepted a “suspicious” vehicle after a wireless alert about four suspicious persons entering the district, police said. (theweek.in) ### What did officials say the drill was meant to measure? Delhi Police said the exercise helped assess preparedness, coordination and emergency response capability among participating agencies. Sharma described the operation as a test of how quickly personnel could secure the site, carry out checks and move civilians during a terror-related emergency simulation. (theweek.in) Police statements focused on response systems rather than any broader public advisory. The reported sequence — alert, cordon, tactical action, evacuation and interception — showed the steps police said they wanted to rehearse in a central market setting. (theweek.in) ### What happened after the Palika Bazar exercise ended? Later on May 17, police conducted another security and anti-sabotage exercise under the “Black Rose” scheme across sensitive locations in the New Delhi district, according to an officer cited in the reports. That second operation ran from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and involved vehicle checks, area domination and surveillance at key points. (theweek.in) The New Delhi district police said the later exercise was aimed at strengthening preventive security measures and assessing operational readiness at other locations beyond Palika Bazar. Police have not announced a separate public timetable for additional drills in the reports reviewed, but the May 17 “Black Rose” exercise named the next operational step taken the same day. (theweek.in)