The city police are making all-out efforts to ensure tight security for Hanuman Jayanti celebrations. Around 201 places of worship and 66 rallies are planned, including the historic procession from the Raja Baksha temple near Medical Square on Saturday. Senior officials will begin auditing the main procession routes from Thursday.
Officers will inspect key junctions along the main procession routes to plan detailed security arrangements at each point. In light of the recent riots in central Nagpur, around 3,000 police personnel will be deployed. They will be supported by two companies of the State Reserve Police Force (about 200 personnel), four platoons of Riot Control Police, 1,300 home guards, and additional staff from local police stations.
Around 120 sensitive spots across the city will be guarded by nearly 400 police personnel. According to sources, around 100 Quick Response Team (QRT) commandos will be kept on standby at the control room for any emergency situations. Drone surveillance will also be used to monitor key areas as part of the security plan. On Thursday, Police Commissioner Ravinder Singal addressed the organisers of Hanuman Jayanti events, including temple authorities from prominent shrines like Raja Baksha. He urged devotees to celebrate the festival with traditional devotion, avoiding loud DJ music and reckless bike rallies.
The Police Commissioner praised one of the organisers who chose to replace DJs with devotional music like bhajans and kirtans. Sources said officers at the ranks of Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs) and Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) will be assigned special patrolling teams, known as ‘striking forces’, for dynamic monitoring. CP Singal has also directed the traffic department to ensure that participants in bike rallies follow all traffic rules. Additionally, senior inspectors have been instructed to ensure that all rallies and programmes strictly adhere to the conditions under which permissions were granted.