Security tightened in Mathura ahead of Janmastami

MATHURA: Expecting about eight lakh devotees to visit this temple town to celebrate Janmashtami, the district administration has stepped up security with deployment of additional paramilitary and police forces to prevent any untoward incident.

An extra 1,400 paramilitary personnel have been deployed in the town besides the CRPF forces ahead of the celebrations on Tuesday, Senior Superintendent of Police (Mathura), Ramakrishna Chaturvedi told.

Extra police personnel have been deployed at railway stations and bus stands and intensive checks are being carried out at transit points and sensitive areas of the town.

Bomb detection squads are also deployed at railway and bus stations, he said, addding "we are keeping a strict vigil and the personnel have been asked to be extra vigilant".

The town has been divided into four sectors with special officers for each area, who are looking after the security arrangements.

The local administration is also carrying out sanitation drive expecting heavy inflow of tourists, D K Sharma, state Tourism department officer, said.