Ayodhya verdict: Nearly 3000 troublemakers held in Mumbai

The Mumbai Police has rounded up nearly 3000 troublemakers in the city since last night, taking the total number of preventive arrests in view of the Ayodhya verdict to 7000.

Till yesterday, over 4000 troublemakers were apprehended under preventive measures to avert any eventuality in the aftermath of the Allahabad High Court verdict, police said.

"Since last night, nearly 3000 more were picked up. We are leaving no stone unturned to maintain peace and harmony. All those picked up were categorised as troublemakers who may have caused law and order problem after the verdict," Deputy Police Commissioner (Operations) Rajkumar Vhatkar told PTI.

The city had witnessed large-scale riots post-Babri Masjid demolition in 1992.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made here with security personnel equipped with guns, lathis and riot control equipment keeping a strict vigil across the city.

Besides city police force, State Reserve Police Force, Rapid Action Force and Riot Control Force will be on the job to control the situation in case of any untoward incident, he said, adding elite forces such as the state's terror response teams Force One and Quick Response Teams have been kept on standby.

Notices have been served to nearly 1200 persons, some of them associated with political parties, under section CrPC 149 warning against indulging in any activity that causes law and order problem in the city.

Prohibitory orders were also issued under section 144 of CrPC, putting restrictions on the assembly of people and preventing people from carrying out any activity that hurts religious sentiments of
a community, police said.

"One should not do anything such as bursting fire crackers and organising processions in favour or against the judgement," Vhatkar said.