Kolkata, Oct 20 (IANS) The Kolkata Police have made special security arrangements to safeguard the gold and silver jewellery adorning Goddess Kali idols in several puja mandaps across the city, a senior police officer said on Monday.

This year, the Kolkata Police will be protecting the jewellery of the idols in 48 mandaps across the city.

Rifle-wielding police personnel and officers will be responsible for protecting the jewellery. During Kali Puja, several community puja committees decorate the idols with gold and silver jewellery. In many places, if the idol has a small amount of jewellery, the puja organisers appoint security guards to keep it safe. But those with larger collections of jewellery have sought police assistance due to the high value involved.

The jewellery collection in 48 mandaps is so high that additional security is required for its protection. Therefore, the puja organisers have been seeking help from the police for security, citing the high collection of jewellery.

Responding to that request, policemen have been deployed in such mandaps since Monday morning. From the beginning of Kali Puja until the time of immersion, two constables with rifles will take charge of security in the mandap in three continuous shifts, said the police. Some of them are also from the armed forces of the Kolkata Police.

“There will also be an additional assistant sub-inspector at some mandaps. The puja organisers have been asked to monitor the idol’s jewellery with extra caution. Several have hired private security guards on their own. Many have installed gates at the mandap. However, we have also deployed policemen as part of additional protection,” said a senior officer of Kolkata Police.

The Kolkata Police had deployed two policemen with rifles at 11 Durga Puja mandaps this year, while tighter security arrangements were made in another two mandaps. The security arrangements were made for all 13 such puja committees, where a large amount of gold and silver jewellery was used to decorate the idols

–IANS

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