As people prepare to usher in the New Year, Bengaluru is all set to welcome 2025 with celebrations in various parts of the city, for which the city police have made elaborate security arrangements to ensure law and order and proper crowd management.
City Police Commissioner B Dayananda, in a presser for the New Year, spoke about the preparations being done keeping in mind the incidents that took place last year. The main hotspots in the city that have been identified include, MG Road-Brigade Road junction, Koramangala, Indira Nagar, JP Nagar, and Whitefield.
"Bengaluru City Police has made tight security arrangements for New Year celebrations in all parts of the city, wherever such events are scheduled and large number of people are likely to gather. Many private parties are also likely to be organised in the outskirts of the city. We have made tight security arrangements, from the commissioner to the last man in the police station, all of us will be on duty throughout the night.," he said.
The police official also stated that around 11,000 personnel have been deployed across the city to maintain law and order during the New Year celebrations. "We have around 72 KSRP platoons, 21 CR platoons and adequate number of home guards, traffic wardens and civil defence also pressed into service," he added.
The commissioner has urged people of the city to refarin from using noise-making devices such as whistles, which can cause disruption and irritation and allow people to engage in inappropriate behaviour. The police has also asked people to not wear facemasks during celebrations in public as they can be intimidating, especially for children, PTI reported.
"We have observed in the past that some individuals use loud whistles, causing irritation and even engaging in inappropriate behavior. Such items should not be used. Additionally, facemasks, which can be intimidating in crowded places, especially around families and children, should be avoided, as they conceal a person's identity," he said.
Bengaluru Police Busts 2.5 Cr Worth Drug Racket, 1 Held
Detailing out the security arrangements, the police commissioner further said that Bengaluru city police has successfully busted a drug peddling racket in the city and arrested a drug peddler as well.
"Bengaluru City Police has been relentlessly pursuing the various drug peddlers who are trying to operate city, both local as well who are other state or even in certain cases from out of the countries and the Anti Narcotic Squad in one such operation has successfully apprehended a drug peddler in the process of selling drugs worth nearly about Rs 2.5 crores. From his possession, police have seized about 3.5 kg of hydro ganja, 16 kg of Marijuana, 40 LSD strips, 130 grams of charas and two mobile phones. The accused is a tattoo artist and besides being a tattoo artist he was also indulged in drug peddling," he said.
Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday stated that more than 7,500 CCTV cameras have been installed to prevent any untoward incidents. Besides the enhanced police deploymet, personnel in plainclothes might also be stationed if needed.
The government has allowed New Year celebrations in Bengaluru only util 1 AM.