Cops take no chances at Shivaji Park

Around five lakh people had gathered at Shivaji Park for Sena chief Bal Thackeray’s funeral, but the police had an iron hold over security arrangements and maintained order.

Around five lakh people had gathered at Shivaji Park for Sena chief Bal Thackeray’s funeral, but the police had an iron hold over security arrangements and maintained order.

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There were moments when the crowd was distraught – like when Thackeray’s body was brought to the ground and when the pyre was lit – but it didn’t trigger any untoward incidents. There was such heavy police deployment that at one point, the person giving out instructions over the public addressal system said there were more policemen than the public near the stage.

A separate enclosure had been set up for the VIPs. The media also had a separate enclosure.

CCTV cameras were installed at the ground and were being monitored by a team of policemen for suspicious activities. A helicopter was also used to conduct a couple of sorties as the procession got close to Shivaji Park.