Ahmedabad police tighten security ahead of Rath Yatra; over 200 history-sheeters questioned

Ahmedabad, Jul 6 (PTI) The Ahmedabad crime branch has launched a security overhaul ahead of the 149th annual Rath Yatra on July 16, questioning over 200 individuals with histories of violence or communal animosity to ensure the safety of the July 16 procession, officials said on Monday. The annual Rath Yatra — one of Gujarat’s largest religious events — is set to pass through several communally sensitive localities, including Jamalpur, Kalupur, Shahpur, and Dariyapur, over the course of a 12-hour route. To prevent any disruption to the event, authorities have deployed drone surveillance and conducted widespread combing operations across the city's most vulnerable areas. The crime branch, in a statement, said it had interrogated more than 200 individuals involved in violent offences or those believed to harbour communal animosity to ensure the yatra passes off peacefully. It also conducted combing and search operations in sensitive areas and deployed drones to monitor rooftops along the Rath Yatra route as part of heightened surveillance, the statement said. The crime branch said that it had busted an interstate gang and arrested five persons, recovering nine illegal weapons during the drive carried out ahead of the procession. According to the police, the preventive measures were aimed at ensuring the Rath Yatra takes place peacefully without any untoward incident. The annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath draws thousands of devotees every year. PTI PJT ARU