1,000 Mumbai police to keep eye on Colaba

Officers of Mumbai Police from the south region are planning to tilt, pan, zoom and function exactly like the high resolution cameras to keep an eye on miscreants in Colaba during New Year’s celebrations.

However, their deployment will not be limited to a day or a week, but will last for at least 15 days.

Additional commissioner of police (south region) Nawal Bajaj said, “From December 23 onwards, all roads that touch the Hotel Taj will be closed for vehicular traffic. The checking of the vehicles may begin right from Regal cinema. As far as the vehicles belonging to the hotel and residents of the area are concerned, they will be provided with stickers just like the ones we had issued during US president Barack Obama’s visit in November. This arrangement will be in place for the next 15 days, after which we will conduct a review and decide on whether and how to continue it.”

However, in spite of such a prolonged timeframe, Bajaj maintained that these measures are not a result of any particular intelligence inputs.

Both the entrances to the Gateway of India will be put under check round the clock. The area will be well-lit and the police will erect five watchtowers near the Gateway area to monitor crowds during the celebrations. The help of bomb technicians and personnel from the QRT (quick response team) will also be taken to secure the area, said the police.

Around 15-20 high-resolution cameras will cover not only the Gateway and Taj but the surveillance will be extended to Colaba Causeway and various lanes of Colaba, which are crowded with pubs and restaurants.

These cameras will track public movement so that any suspicious activity can be detected and prompt action taken. The idea behind installing cameras in the high density areas is also to avoid incidents of eve-teasing.

“We are going to ensure that there are separate queues for families and women,” added Bajaj.

Most importantly, around 800-1,000 fresh recruits in the department will be involved in this massive drive. Bajaj explained how the south region police plans to have an independent drunk driving campaign and the young recruits will conveniently pass off as civilians in the crowd.

In dramatic style, Bajaj compared the arrangement to a Chakravyuh, and said, “We have our eyes set, from the access point till the end. Once someone enters the south region, he cannot escape unseen or unidentified.”