Ayodhya/Lucknow, Sept 29 : Ahead of the Allahabad High Court's judgement on the Ramjanambhoomi-Babri Masjid case tomorrow, an alert has been sounded across Uttar Pradesh with security in and around the disputed site tightened and intensive searches being carried out in Faizabad district.
The security forces are carrying out intensive searches on people entering into Ayodhya district, officials said. The intelligence units have also been put on high alert to monitor movement and activities of anti-social elements.
As a preventive measure aerial survey, including at night, of sensitive places, including Ram Janmbhoomi complex in Ayodhya has been done, he said. All the security personnel deployed in Ayodhya and Faizabad have been equipped with tear gas shells and rubber bullets.
Gazetted officers of various government departments have also been asked to assist in policing. They have also been provided with rubber bullets and tear gas shells.
Helicopters have been kept on alert and asked to keep a vigil on activities of mischievous elements, sources said. Meanwhile, three dog squads, four bomb disposal squads, five anti-sabotage teams and fire tenders have also been deployed at strategic points in the twin temple towns.
Twenty companies of CRPF has been deployed for the inner security of the Ram Janmbhoomi complex, besides 38 other companies of police and PAC for the twin towns and 16 other companies for the rural areas, a senior police official said.
Additional companies of CRPF have been deployed in and around the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court.
The security at both Allahabad and Lucknow bench of the High Court has been stepped up keeping in view of the judgement tomorrow, sources said.
For security of Lucknow bench of the High Court, a Superintendent of Police, six Additional SP, 22 deputy SP, 144 sub inspectors, 104 head constables, 807 constables and two companies of PAC (about 200 personnel) had been deployed.
This would be in addition to central forces like CRPF and RAF, they said. Similarly, for Allahabad HC, two ASPs, 16 DSPs, six inspectors, 30 Sub inspectors, 200 constables, four companies of PAC had been deployed.
On the administrative front, six additional district magistrates and 20 sub-divisional magistrates have been posted in Lucknow, while an ADM and 15 SDMs ve been posted in Allahabad to keep an eye on the situation.
Security of the three High Court judges had already been beefed up in view of the verdict. One platoon of PAC (about 20 personnel), five CRPF personnel have been deployed at residence of all the three judges, besides an escort and pilot car and one PSO each have also been provided to them," a senior officer said.
A deputy SP rank officer has been made incharge of the judges security, he added.
Borders with adjoining Nepal and Uttarakhand have been sealed and a strict vigil was being maintained on all those coming to the state from these sides.
The security forces had already staged flag marches in all the sensitive places and districts, including Ayodhya, Varanasi and Mathura, in the state and prohibitory orders had been issued, sources said. As a preventive measure, all liquor and firecrackers shops would remain closed tomorrow, sources said.
As many as 52 companies of the CPMF, 150 companies of the PAC, over 80,000 homeguards and 20,000 prantiya rakshak dal personnel alongwith nearly 80,000 civil police had been deployed for security, sources said.
The government has already identified 25 districts of the state as sensitive and 19 others as hyper-sensitive.
These districts include Agra, Allahabad, Aligarh, Azamgarh, Bareilly, Bahraich, Bulandshahr, Gonda, Gorakhpur, Kanpur city, Meerut, Moradabad, Mau, Varanasi, Faizabad, Mathura, Bijnore, Muzaffarnagar and Lucknow.
Meanwhile, in Kanpur, prohibitory orders have been enforced even as district administration has engaged 1,400 retired defence officers to watch out against rumour mongering ahead of the Ayodhya verdict.
A strict vigil is being maintained against firecracker manufacturers. Directives have been issued to police stations to keep a check on various printing presses in their area.
Hyderabad : Elaborate security arrangements have been made here in view of the Ayodhya verdict. Prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC have been extended for a week from Tuesday to maintain public order, City Commissioner of Police A K Khan told reporters .
Pillion riding would be prohibited from Wednesday between 9 pm and 6 am for a week. However, this restriction would not be applicable to those below 12 years, he added.
Bangalore : The Karnataka government has promulgated 48-hour prohibitory orders from September 30 across the state and declared two days holiday to educational institutions ahead of the court verdict.
The prohibitory orders promulgated under Section 144 of the CrPC will be in force from the morning of September 30. All schools and colleges would remain closed on September 30 and October 1, the government said.
Prohibitory orders would not apply to meetings or functions held indoors and also to the gathering in mosques to offer prayers, State ADGP (Law & Order) A R Infant said. Police would deploy 50,000 personnel, besides Home Guards as part of elaborate security arrangements to meet any situation, he said.
In addition, about 150 platoons of District Armed Reserve (DAR) and City Armed Reserve (CAR), 200 platoons of Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) and around 12,000 Home Guards would also be deployed. All liquor shops throughout the state would remain closed for two days from September 30, Infant said.
Allaying apprehensions among firms and business establishments, he said they should remain open without any fear.
Bangalore Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari said prohibitory orders will be imposed in the city for three days from September 30, adding liquor ban will however be imposed only for one day in the city.
Coimbatore : Tight security arrangements are in place in the district in view of the verdict. Nearly 1,500 police personnel are on security duty in the city. Another 1,000 personnel would be deployed on the day of the judgement, police said.
Besides erecting 11 checkposts at various junctions and strategic points, police would carry out checks in lodges and also monitor the movement of suspicious persons, particularly in communally sensitive Coimbatore and nearby Mettupalayam.
Mumbai : Maharashtra Government has put police on high alert to tackle any situation arising out of the judgement in the decades-old dispute. Home Minister R R Patil said leave of policemen have been cancelled.
"A repeat of 1992-93 (when communal riots had broken out in the metropolis in the wake of demoligion of Babri Mosque) has to be avoided. Maharashtra is a progressive state and we have to guard that image," he said.
Chief Secretary J P Dange said 2.5 lakh security personnel have been deployed across the state. These include eight companies of CRPF (around 800 personnel) and 25,000 Home Guards.
The police have issued prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC which will be in force till October 3.
Thiruvananthapuram : Elaborate security arrangements have been made by police as a precautionary measure.
Over 30,000 police personnel including rapid action, anti-sabotage and strike forces and bomb squad have been deployed across the state, police sources said.
Prohibitory orders under the Kerala Police Act have already been issued for the next two days in Kozhikode, Kannur and Alappuzha districts. Restrictions were also likely to be extended to other districts by evening, if necessary.
Police has beefed up security around places of worship, airports, railway stations and public places, sources said.
Ahmedabad : Gujarat police will be on alert across the state from Wednesday midnight. "All police commissioners and district superintendents across the state have been directed to tighten security in their respective areas, in wake of the verdict on the Ayodhya title suit," ADGP (Law and Order), Sudhir Sinha told PTI. "Leaves of all police men have been cancelled and they have been asked to resume duty immediately," Sinha said.
"Additional police forces including Rapid Action Force (RAF) and State Reserve Police (SRP) have been deployed in major cities especially in the sensitive areas," he said.
Ahmedabad Joint Commissioner of Police (JCP), Satish Sharma said, "All men would be in a stand to position from midnight today in wake of the Allahabad High Court verdict."
Sharma said 20 companies of State Reserve Police (SRP), four companies of Border Wing Jawans, one Rapid Action Force (RAF) company and 18 mobile Police control room (PCR) van have been deployed in the city. Besides, three Quick Response Teams (QRTs) comprising trained commandos would also be deployed, he said.
Policemen across Ahmedabad have been equipped with automatic weapons. Adequate force has been deployed in sensitive areas like Dariyapur, Shahpur, Kalupur and Bapunagar of the city.
