India News | UP: Elaborate Security Arrangements in Place for Radha Ashtami Fair in Mathura

Mathura (UP), Aug 30 (PTI) Mathura administration has made elaborate security arrangements for the Radha Ashtami fair here on Sunday, after a stampede at the Bankey Bihari temple during Janmashtami celebrations recently left two devotees dead.

There will be increased deployment of police personnel at the fair venue and to prevent any untoward incident, entry into Ladli temple, Barsana, including the 180 stairs leading to the main temple, would be allowed in phases, a senior official said on Tuesday.

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"The mela (fair) area has been divided into six zones and 16 sectors with additional SPs/SDMs as in-charge of each zone and police circle officers/ executive magistrates as in-charge of each sector," Mathura District Magistrate Navneet Singh Chahal said.

SDM, Goverdhan, Sandeep Kumar Verma has been made the mela officer, the officer said.

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Earlier this month, two devotees were killed and seven others sustained injuries at the Bankey Bihari temple in Vrindavan during Mangala Aarti on Janmashtami.

According to officials, the devotees will not be allowed to gather inside the temple in large numbers. After paying obeisance to the deity, they will immediately move out.

Chahal said, 12 medical camps will be set up at the fair venue and 10 ambulances will be attached to the camps.

A total 1,800 police personnel, including six Additional SPs, and 30 police circle officers would be deployed at the fair, another official said.

As many as 45 CCTVs have been installed in the area while police in plain clothes would be deployed at sensitive places, he said.

Lady police personnel will be deployed across the venue to help women devotees and crackdown on anti-social elements, the official said.

Meanwhile, adequate arrangements have also been made at Vrindavan temples, including Bankey Bihari, Radha Ballabh, and Radha Damodar, officials said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)