Ahead of festivals, police tighten security near religious sites, crowded places in Mumbai

Mumbai: As part of their anti-terror preparedness ahead of the festival season, Mumbai police have stepped up security near religious sites and other crowded places across the city, an official said on Saturday.

All senior police officials have been asked to pay special attention to security arrangements in their jurisdiction. Considering the upcoming festivals and elections, mock drills are being conducted, he said.

Police on Friday conducted mock drills at places like Bhaucha Dhakka, Barkat Ali Road, Iskcon temple in Juhu, and Zaveri Bazar to check their security preparedness in the country’s financial capital, which has experienced terror attacks in the past.

All temples in the city have been asked to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities as a precautionary measure, the official said.

In a routine preventive order on Friday, the Mumbai police said subversive or anti-social elements might seek hideouts in residential areas and there is every likelihood of “breach of peace and disturbance of public tranquility with grave danger to human life and injury to private or public property on that account”.

It asked landlords and others who have rented out their properties, including hotels, guest houses and ‘musafir khanas’, in the city to immediately furnish the particulars of their tenants through the citizen portal of Mumbai police.

If the tenant is not an Indian citizen, then the owner and the foreigner will have to furnish information about the renter, including passport details, failing which action would be taken, the official added.