Terror threat: Security on Mumbai beaches intensified

With terror threat looming large over the mega-polis, the Mumbai police are turning their focus from the Ganesh pandals to the sea front. Acting on the information from intelligence agencies, the Mumbai police have shifted their focus on the sea-beaches where the lakhs of devotees will converge for Ganesh idol immersion on September 16 and 22.

The likelihood of attacking lakhs of devotees on the sea front appeared high, the city police have been told by intelligence agencies, who are on the trail of the two foreigners who are suspected to have entered Mumbai to cause terror.

The city police were roped in when the trail of the two suspects went cold. The two foreign suspects, whose picture have been released, were identified as Kalimuddin Khan alias Rameshwar Pandit, 28, from Pakistan and Hafiz Khijirulla Sarif, 25, from Bangladesh.

The threats on the Ganesh pandals have reportedly reduced after the police detained a couple of men suspected to have provided help to the foreigners. Two persons have been picked up from the distant suburbs of Mumbai, police sources said.

Taking the intelligence input seriously, police cover on the city beach fronts at places such as Juhu, Girgaum and Dadar, where idol immersion takes place, have been intensified.

Besides installing CCTV cameras, metal detectors and public address system, police are employing efficient crowd management techniques to prevent stampede in case of a rumour or an attack.