Ahmedabad, July 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Ahmedabad City Crime Branch has questioned more than 200 individuals with a history of violent offences or communal enmity as part of an extensive security exercise to ensure the annual Rath Yatra passes off peacefully without any untoward incidents, officials said on Monday.
According to the Crime Branch, the preventive action was undertaken to ensure that the procession is conducted smoothly in an atmosphere of communal harmony and peace.
The exercise formed part of a wider security plan that also included combing and search operations in sensitive localities across the city.
Police said drone surveillance was conducted over rooftops along the Rath Yatra route to detect any suspicious activity and to strengthen monitoring of vulnerable locations during the procession.
The Crime Branch also said it had dismantled an inter-state criminal gang during the security drive, arresting five persons and recovering nine illegal firearms from their possession.
"To ensure that the entire Rath Yatra is conducted smoothly without any untoward incident and in an atmosphere of communal harmony and peace, the Ahmedabad City Crime Branch has carried out intensive questioning of more than 200 individuals who were previously involved in offences involving physical violence or had a history of communal enmity," the Crime Branch said.
The preventive measures are part of a broader security build-up across Gujarat ahead of the Rath Yatra on July 16.
In recent days, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested eight operatives allegedly linked to the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed, saying the action had disrupted an alleged attempt to establish a terror network in the state ahead of the festival period.
Authorities have also expanded surveillance and preventive policing for the procession.
Security arrangements include enhanced drone and technology-assisted surveillance, while police have conducted enforcement drives targeting wanted offenders and other criminal elements to minimise potential threats during one of Ahmedabad's largest annual religious processions.
Source: IANS
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