Central agencies to hold meeting in Chennai over security arrangements

CHENNAI, JAN 20: With the Shiv Sena's Tamil Nadu unit today asserting that it would muster all its strength to prevent the Indo-Pakistan ...

CHENNAI, JAN 20: With the Shiv Sena’s Tamil Nadu unit today asserting that it would muster all its strength to prevent the Indo-Pakistan Test being held here, Intelligence Bureau officials are coming to Chennai soon to hold discussions with the state police officials over the security arrangements to be made in connection with the match to be held here from January 28.

In a statement here, Sena’s state organising secretary G Radhakrishnan and state deputy general secretary M S Padamkumar said attempts to hold the match was `a challenge to patriots.’

If needed, the party would not hesitate to bring Sainiks from Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, as directed by the party high command, they said.

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Reiterating the seriousness of their intentions, three Sena volunteers were arrested for throwing pig-heads in front of the M A Chidambaram stadium today, while a Hindu Munnani volunteer, an auto-rickshaw driver, set himself on fire as an act of protest against staging the match and was admitted to a cityhospital with extensive burns.

During their visit, the IB officials will meet Tamil Nadu DGP F C Sharma and other senior police officers and review the security arrangements. Heavy police bandobust has been devised by the police for the Test match. About 2,000 policemen are likely to be placed in and around the M A Chidambaram stadium within the next few days.

Stadium officials are planning to streamline the issuing of tickets for the match. According to sources, only two tickets will be issued per person. This move is apparently aimed at preventing the Sena volunteers from making bulk purchase of tickets and staging a demonstration at the stadium during the match.

Police officials will also be posted in mufti to check the antecedents of those purchasing the tickets. Police are planning to ban the viewers from taking match-boxes, water sachets, food packets and other items inside the stadium. Several cameras will be installed around the stadium to keep a watch on the viewers.

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About 100 policepersonnel have been posted around the stadium already and several checkposts erected. All vehicles passing through various roads around the stadium are being stopped and checked.

An additional deputy commissioner of police has been made in charge of the security arrangements with three assistant commissioners of police instructed to do round-the-clock duty. Three police inspectors, six sub-inspectors of police, 60 police constables, 16 armed reserve constables and 20 police commandos will be on duty in and around the stadium.

Visitors to the stadium are being screened before being allowed inside. Police constables have been posted on the ground to prevent the possibility of the workers (in the stadium) tampering with the pitch. The bandobust scheme for the cricket match is being reviewed by the police officials every day. Everyday several additions are being made to the scheme.