As the city’s nerve centre was occupied with revellers to welcome 2012, the police were on their toes, trying to prevent hooliganism and untoward incidents.
For the revellers who generally throng MG Road and Brigade Road for New Year, this year had an added attraction—the BMRCL’s decision to run the Metro well after midnight.
But for the officials, it was a nightmare trying to prevent the drunk people from boarding the Metro.
Every year, revellers throng to the vicinity of MG Road and the Cubbon Park police station witnesses a spike in cases of pickpocketing and molestation.
To ensure that the festivities happen in peaceful manner, the policemen on Saturday morning were busy clearing parked vehicles on MG Road and Brigade Road. This year the crowds, in anticipation of a Metro ride, had parked two-wheelers at the parking slots on MG Road. Additional forces were deployed near pubs, restaurants, hotels, malls and sensitive areas in the city.
The traffic police began diverting traffic leading to the Brigade Road junction as the crowd began to trickle in from 9pm. It was checking all the vehicles to prevent people from drunk driving.
Additional commissioner of police, T Suneel Kumar, had directed the police officials across the city to be on maximum alert, but cautioned them against getting worked up and advised them to avoid high handedness.
Senior police officials including commissioner Jyothi Prakash Mirji, additional commissioner of police (Law and Order) T Suneel Kumar, Joint commissioner of police (crime) Pranab Mohanty, and the police rank and file will be on security duty till late night.
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