Nagpur deploys 4,000 police for Pola-Marbat procession, warns of instant custody for unruly behaviour

Nagpur police have mounted a major security operation for this year's Pola and Marbat festival. The city police will be on high alert on Friday and Saturday to ensure law and order is not disturbed anywhere during the procession.

About 4,000 police personnel are being deployed across Nagpur city for the arrangement. Police Commissioner Vishwas Nangre Patil has given clear instructions that anyone found drunk and creating a nuisance during the procession should be taken into custody immediately. Ahead of the festival, police have also begun rounding up known offenders. Separate sector-wise police arrangements have been made for the Marbat-Badgya procession that will be taken out on Friday.

On Thursday, Police Commissioner Vishwas Nangre Patil and Joint Commissioner of Police Naveenchandra Reddy held a meeting with senior officers to review the entire security arrangement. At the meeting, both officers instructed officials that ordinary citizens should not face any difficulty during the procession, and that whatever steps are necessary must be taken to ensure law and order is not disturbed under any circumstances.

A total of 3 DIGs, 7 DCPs, 14 ACPs, 55 police inspectors and 350 API and PSI-rank officers have been put on duty for the arrangement. In addition, one company of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) and about 1,000 home guards will also be deployed so that any situation can be handled.

Police Commissioner Vishwas Nangre Patil personally inspected the entire procession route on Wednesday, visiting the sites of the Peeli, Kali and Lala Marbat. During the visit, he directed officials to take necessary measures for crowd control, traffic management and security.

Traffic will be diverted along the procession route in Nagpur district on Friday morning because of the Marbat and Badgya procession. Traffic will be affected in the areas of Peeli Marbat Chowk, Purana Motor Stand, Nehru Putla, Teen Nal Chowk, Shaheed Chowk, Gandhi Putla, Mahal, Jhanda Chowk, Gandhi Gate, Jagnath Budhwari, Barkas Chowk, Agrasen Chowk and Bhola Ganesh Chowk. Police have advised motorists to avoid these routes and take alternative ones.