Kolkata, Sep 30 : Security has been tightened around the old ancestral mansions of Kolkata, where idols of Goddess Durga have been adorned with gold jewellery worth crores, drawing lakhs of devotees every day, police said on Tuesday.
Armed police personnel have been deployed at all these ‘bonedi baris’, mainly to safeguard the ornaments, they said.
Among them are the house of the Savarna Roychowdhury family in Barisha, the Shobhabazar Rajbari, Mallik Bari, Laha Bari, and Bholanath Dham in Beadon Street, they said.
“Within the jurisdiction of Kolkata Police, 13 Durga Pujas happen where idols are decorated with gold jewellery. While they are attracting huge crowds, the display of wealth also raises security concerns. We have therefore stepped up vigilance and posted armed personnel at each venue,” a senior officer told PTI.
According to him, 11 of these mansions have been assigned two rifle-armed constables each, while stricter arrangements have been made for two others.
“At one place in central Kolkata’s Muchipara, two officers armed with service pistols are on duty along with two constables carrying rifles. In one mansion in Beniapukur, two rifle-armed personnel have been deployed exclusively to protect the ornaments,” he said.
In many of these mansions, jewellery is placed on the idols only for a limited duration and police personnel remain posted during that time, he added.
Besides guarding the ornaments, the officers are also ensuring that no visitor gets too close to the idols.
“As an added precaution, CCTV cameras have been installed to monitor the premises during the festivities. The feed is being monitored from the Kolkata Police headquarters at Lalbazar,” the officer said.
“We are on high alert to prevent any untoward incident amid the glitter and devotion of Durga Puja,” he said.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal Police have deployed 10,000-15,000 personnel across the 33 districts for public safety. (PTI)
