Over the past four years, residents of JR Boricha Marg and Sane Guruji Marg, near the Arthur Road prison, have been hassled as their neighbourhood  transformed into a fortress owing to the tight security cover in the area. Multiple barricades and a ban on entry of vehicles even claimed lives of three residents who could not make it to hospital on time.

Following the execution of the 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab on Wednesday, residents opined that the barricades be removed so that normalcy could prevail in the area.

For Benny D’souza, 40, a shopkeeper the one-way route that the lane was  converted into during Kasab’s first year at the prison was a nuisance. “All vehicular traffic was forced to take detours.”

A medical store owner, Maljibhai Shah, 70 said, “Not even a bicycle was allowed to enter this lane. When medicines had to be delivered at my shop, the van was parked outside and I had to carry the stock to the shop.”

“We were all frisked before entering the lane. We were also given photo-identity cards to ensure that no outsider entered the lane,” said 31-year-old resident, Irfan Ali.Residents said that initially officials were unwilling to bend rules even for emergency services. It was only after protests by locals that permissions for emergency rescue services were given.