Hyderabad police deployed additional security personnel at Charminar on Friday as Friday prayers drew a large gathering at Mecca Masjid and small Ganesh idols continued to pass through the area. Senior officers monitored the arrangements at the historic site, where the movement of people and processions coincided with the prayer gathering.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Kiran Khare and other senior police officers were present at Charminar to review the security arrangements and monitor the situation. The police made elaborate preparations in and around the area in anticipation of the large gathering at Mecca Masjid.
As a precautionary measure, personnel from the Rapid Action Force and the Commissioner’s Task Force were deployed around Charminar. The deployment was intended to prevent any untoward incident during a period that required police to manage overlapping religious activity and a high concentration of people in the heritage precinct.
Small Ganesh idols continued to pass in front of Mecca Masjid while the Friday sermon was under way, according to the report. Police personnel maintained a close watch over the area as the movement took place under heightened security.
Despite the extensive deployment and the presence of large crowds, there were no visible signs of tension among citizens, the report said. The police presence included senior officers at the site as well as specialised and task-force personnel positioned in and around Charminar.
The Charminar area is one of Hyderabad’s busiest public spaces and includes the historic mosque and the surrounding commercial and pedestrian zone. Friday’s arrangements placed particular emphasis on monitoring movement through the area while prayers were in progress.
The immediate operation remained focused on crowd management and prevention of any untoward incident. Senior police officers continued to review the security arrangements at Charminar as the prayer gathering and idol movement proceeded.
