Ludhiana | Cops review security arrangements at places of worship

Amid rising sacrilege cases, the Ludhiana cops advised the local management committees of different places of worship to ramp up security and install CCTV cameras on the premises

With repeated incidents of sacrilege sending the Punjab Police into a tizzy, cops on Monday advised the local management committees of different places of worship to install CCTV cameras and increase security on the premises.

The cops asked the management committees in Ludhiana to ensure the presence of a member of the committee or a priest in the sanctum sanctorum of places of worship at all times. (Representative Image/HT File)

The cops asked the management committees to ensure the presence of a member of the committee or a priest in the sanctum sanctorum at all times. The committees were asked to handover any suspects to the police rather than assaulting them. Police patrolling teams have also been directed to keep vigil outside religious places.

An official, requesting anonymity, said that the police have inputs which suggest that anti-social elements are trying to disturb the law and order situation in Punjab. Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) Rupinder Kaur Sra said, “Over the last two days, we have checked all religious places in the district. Most places of worship already have CCTV cameras, others were asked to install them at the earliest.”

“In rural areas, we asked villagers to organise ‘theekri pehras’ (community patrolling) outside religious places in their respective areas. We also conducted meetings with sarpanchs and panchayats of the villages,”said Sra.

“Station house officers (SHOs) have also been asked to hold meetings with the management committees of religious places from time to time and to check if the CCTVs are working properly,” the ADCP added.

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) member Charan Singh Alamgir said, “We have also asked all gurdwara committee members to be alert at all times. Most gurdwaras have already installed CCTVs, and are planning to increase the number of cameras.”

Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran Sahib, Jagraon Bridge, managing committee president Pritpal Singh also said that CCTVs have been installed on the premises.