Police tighten security today

All security measures have been put in place in areas around Shivaji Park in view of the Republic Day parade on Wednesday. A few drills, too, were conducted at several places at the park as a precautionary measure.

All security measures have been put in place in areas around Shivaji Park in view of the Republic Day parade on Wednesday. A few drills, too, were conducted at several places at the park as a precautionary measure.

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Deputy commissioner of police (DCP), operations, Rajkumar Vhatkar, told HT on Tuesday, that though no specific terror alert had been issued by central intelligence agencies, “we are being careful and initiating the required measures to ensure maximum security”.

He said police stations across the city have been asked to provide security to schools and offices where the tricolour would be hoisted. Deployment would also be made at educational institutions that have planned cultural programmes and functions through the day.

Knowing well that people would be thronging theatres, multiplexes, malls and market places on the holiday, security has been beefed up at these places.

Vital installations like the BARC, oil depots as well as monuments and important places of worship have been provided with additional security. At some places, the police have deployed combatant forces along with vehicles, Vhatkar said.

“We want to take troublemakers by surprise,” Vhatkar said.

The Mumbai police have conducted an extensive rehearsal for the parade at Shivaji Park.

Vhatkar said all of the police’s new acquisitions — armoured personnel carriers, amphibious vehicles, speedboats and so on — would be displayed during the parade along with the daredevil motorbike teams.