Shillong, Oct 19: Meghalaya Police has intensified security arrangements across Shillong during Durga Puja, deploying additional foot and mobile patrols, setting up more police pickets and extending night patrols until 5:30 am or 6 am.
SP Traffic Hari Prasanta said the enhanced security measures were finalised at a high-level review meeting with the Central Puja Committee (CPC), chaired by Chief Secretary R. Telang and attended by Director General of Police Idashisha Nongrang.
Prasanta said the additional measures were introduced based on inputs from the CPC, with particular attention to late-night and early-morning hours. Additional forces are also being mobilised in sensitive areas.
“Based on the inputs from the Central Puja Committee, we have decided to increase patrolling—both foot patrolling and then mobile patrolling. And we are increasing the picketing, and we are extending the time, especially during the wee hours of the night from 12:00 to morning 5:30 or 6:00 AM,” he said.
The move follows a recent late-night arson incident that raised concerns over public safety during the festival. Prasanta said the situation remained normal but added that police were taking precautions to prevent further incidents.
“Things are normal. These are stray acts—stray incidents which have happened,” he said.
“To make sure that, being on the cautious side, we are increasing our patrolling, we are increasing our surveillance, and there is nothing to worry about this,” he added.
On the investigation into the arson incident, Prasanta confirmed that no arrests had been made so far. He said the police were continuing their investigation and would take action after establishing the identities of those involved.
” Investigation is going on. Only after thorough investigation, we’ll be able to know the persons involved in it, and we’ll be able to take action on them,” he said.
