Ganesh Kanate

Mumbai: If you’re male and single, there’s no way you can mingle at the New Year celebrations at the Gateway of India.

The Mumbai police have taken a policy decision to create a separate sector around the Gateway of India precinct where only families, couples, and women will be allowed to enter. This is where usually thousands gather to welcome the ‘New Year’.

Not only this, the police will also be installing close circuit televisions (CCTVs), private video cameras, and deploying plain-clothes policemen. All this will be done in an area illuminated by floodlights. In addition, the they will also be erecting watch towers for effective surveillance.

Brajesh Singh, DCP of Zone 1, giving details of the special bandobast to avert incidents of molestation, groping and misbehaviour with women, told DNA that the entire Colaba area has been divided into seven sectors of which one will be strictly reserved for families, couples and women only. Stags will be strictly prohibited from entering this sector which will have separate entry and exit routes.

Last year, a girl was molested and her mobile phone stolen by a mob of unruly youngsters. When the incident was reported by a section of the media with pictures of a group of youngsters not only molesting the girl but also trying to strip her, Mumbai erupted in anger and demanded stern action against the culprits. The five youngsters were later arrested.

Though it went unreported, stories of a saree-clad woman being groped and a foreigner being molested were also doing the rounds. Taking this as a lesson, the Mumbai police, after much deliberation on the issue, decided not to allow stags during celebrations, Singh said.

He said though consumption of alcohol was prohibited at all public places, it was noticed that people not only carry, but also consume alcohol. A special team of policemen has been deployed to ensure that no one carries or consumes alcohol in these seven sectors of Colaba and also on the three-and-a-half kilometre stretch of Marine Drive where more than one lakh people gather to ring in the New Year.

Besides making arrangements to ensure the safety of women, overall security has been tightened to avoid any untoward incident, he said. If needed, medical aid would be made available instantly, and a bomb squad too has been kept on high alert.

Source : DNA India