Pune Police Forms Special Squads To Maintain Vigil On Holi

Mumbai: The Pune Police has formed special squads at the police station level to maintain a vigil on anti-social elements during Holi celebrations. The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation Commissionerate has also formed around 10 such squads.

According to the police, this squad will keep an eye on anti-social elements and ensure that such elements do not take advantage of the festival and force those who do not want to apply colours.

Officers will also patrol the streets in civilian clothes. Police teams will be deployed in sensitive areas as well as in slums. Apart from this, police will remain vigilant at markets, bus stands, main squares and other crowded places.

CCTV based surveillance will also be increased to keep the miscreants under control. Officials said the police would conduct an awareness campaign targeting people by throwing balloons filled with colours and water as a precautionary measure to avoid any untoward incident.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, there are strict restrictions on mass observation of public festivals for the past two years. Holi is being celebrated on 17th March and after that Dhulivandan is being celebrated on 18th March.

Pune Police Commissioner Amitabh Gupta said, “The festival should be celebrated with all necessary precautions as no festival has been celebrated for the last two years. Police teams will keep a watch on the celebrations and ensure that no untoward incident takes place.”

“Throwing water balloons can create the possibility of an accident. Some drunkards ride bikes under the guise of celebration. All these things will be taken care of and strict action will be initiated against the unruly elements,” said PCMC commissioner Krishna Prakash.

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