A 30% drop in footfall in the streets of Mumbai on New Year’s eve, in addition to a massive police bandobast, resulted in peaceful celebrations on Wednesday night, with no major mishaps being reported.
In an effort to ensure that New Year’s eve passed without incident, as many as 1,120 people with past cases of assault and sexual offence registered against them were taken into preventive custody on Wednesday morning, and released on Thursday morning.
Thirty people were booked under sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act for consumption of banned narcotic substances.
Another 310 people were detained under various sections of the Maharashtra Police Act for unruly behaviour, and fines worth Rs 1,200 were collected from them. Police officers said revellers preferred to stay indoors at house parties or go beyond the city limits for celebrations, resulting in a dip in footfalls at traditional party venues in south Mumbai. At Dadar Chowpatty, the number of police personnel seemed to be higher than the number of visitors.
“At Gateway of India, Marine Drive and Girgaum and Juhu beaches, we had more than 500 uniformed police personnel, who managed the crowds. Most of the revellers had come to the city from far-off locations, to witness celebrations. There were fewer two-wheelers and vehicles at these spots, in comparison to last year,” said Dhananjay Kulkarni, deputy commissioner of police (crime).
{{/usCountry}}“At Gateway of India, Marine Drive and Girgaum and Juhu beaches, we had more than 500 uniformed police personnel, who managed the crowds. Most of the revellers had come to the city from far-off locations, to witness celebrations. There were fewer two-wheelers and vehicles at these spots, in comparison to last year,” said Dhananjay Kulkarni, deputy commissioner of police (crime).
{{/usCountry}}“With many police personnel manning the streets and major junctions, biker groups could not make mischief as they usually do,” said Kulkarni.
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