Mumbai cops, US security officials meet ahead of Obama visit

Ahead of US President Barack Obama's arrival in Mumbai next week, officials of the Maharashtra home department and city police held another closed-door meeting on Tuesday with American officials over the security arrangements for the high-profile visit.

"Though the final schedule of Obama's visit to different places in the city had not been revealed to us yet, meetings on security arrangements had been going on for quite some time now. Another meeting with American officials was held today to discuss security-related issues," said a senior police official.

Mani Bhavan, Marine Drive and the city's red light area Kamathipura are likely to figure in the itinerary of the US President, he said. However, American officials were advised to cancel First Lady Michelle Obama's visit to Kamathipura due to security reasons, the official said.

"It would take at least a couple of days to get the final schedule but as a precautionary measure, we are sanitising the areas where Obama is likely to go." The police have also started checking lodges and guest houses. They plan to screen every person staying in the lodges and guest houses in the vicinity of the Taj Mahal Palace, where the US President will be staying. Places like the Taj, Cafe Leopold and Colaba Causeway, frequented by foreigners, will be checked, police said.