Delhi Police steps up security across city on Christmas
New Delhi (PTI): Delhi Police has intensified security arrangements across the national capital, deploying nearly 20,000 personnel to ensure law and order on Christmas and the upcoming New Year celebrations, an official said.
Security has also been tightened along Delhi's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, and in areas adjoining Rajasthan, as a large influx of people is expected from neighbouring states for Christmas and year-end festivities, the official said.
"Nearly 20,000 police personnel, including traffic police and paramilitary forces, have been deployed across the city to prevent hooliganism, ensure public safety and curb traffic violations," the official said.
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Additional pickets, barricades and deployment of paramilitary forces have been put in place at major entry points to check nuisance and unlawful activities by people entering the city, he added.
The police said security will also be reinforced at 15 major entry points to Delhi, where vehicles from adjoining states are expected to enter.
The traffic police have drawn up a detailed plan to tackle drunken driving, overspeeding and dangerous motorcycle stunts, a senior police officer said.
Additional force from local police stations has been deployed to assist traffic personnel during late evening and night hours.
"All SHOs have been directed to remain on the roads with their teams during Christmas and the New Year period to maintain law and order," the officer said, adding that vehicles involved in stunt-like activities will be impounded immediately and strict legal action will follow.
Police teams are also conducting checks at bus terminals, railway stations, hotels, dharamshalas and night shelters to verify the credentials of occupants and identify those staying illegally in the city, the official said.
Delhi Traffic Police said their primary focus will be on ensuring smooth vehicular movement and crowd management in high-footfall areas such as Connaught Place, Hauz Khas, major markets and malls.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Prashant Gautam told PTI, "Adequate police and traffic arrangements have been made in the Shahdara district to maintain law and order. Around 400 police personnel will be deployed on the ground, with nearly 80 vehicles conducting continuous patrolling."
In addition to permanent pickets, 77 additional pickets have been set up for round-the-clock checking, he said.
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Screenwriter Salim Khan on ventilator support and stable, say doctors
Mumbai (PTI): Veteran screenwriter Salim Khan suffered a brain haemorrhage which has been tackled, is on ventilator support as a safeguard and stable, doctors treating him said on Wednesday, a day after he was admitted to the Lilavati Hospital here.
The 90-year-old, one half of the celebrated Salim-Javed duo which scripted films such as "Sholay", "Deewar" and "Don" with Javed Akhtar, is in the ICU and recovery might take some time given his age.
"His blood pressure was high for which we treated him and we had to put him on a ventilator because we wanted to do certain investigations. Now the ventilator was put as a safeguard so that his situation doesn't get worse. So it is not that he is critical," Dr Jalil Parkar told reporters.
"We did the investigations that were required and today we have done a small procedure on him, I will not go into the details. The procedure done is called DSA (digital subtraction angiography). The procedure has been accomplished, he is fine and stable and shifted back to ICU. By tomorrow, we hope to get him off the ventilator. All in all, he is doing quite well," he added.
Asked whether he suffered a brain haemorrhage, the doctor said, "Unko thoda haemorrhage hua tha, which we’ve tackled. No surgery is required.
As concern over Khan's health mounted, his children, including superstar Salman Khan and Arbaaz Khan, daughter Alvira, and sons-in-law Atul Agnihotri and Aayush Sharma, have been seen outside the hospital along with other well-wishers. His long-time partner Akhtar was also seen coming out of the hospital.
Khan, a household name in the 70s and 80s, turned 90 on November 24 last year. It was the day Dharmendra, the star of many of his films, including "Sholay", "Seeta aur Geeta" and "Yaadon Ki Baraat", passed away.
Hailing from an affluent family in Indore, Khan arrived in Mumbai in his 20s with dreams of stardom. He was good looking and confident he would make a mark in the industry as an actor. But that did not happen. And then, after struggling for close to a decade and getting confined to small roles in films, he changed lanes.
He worked as an assistant to Abrar Alvi and soon met Akhtar to form one of Hindi cinema's most formidable writing partnerships. They worked together on two dozen movies with most of them achieving blockbuster status.
Other than "Sholay", "Deewar" and "Don", Khan and Akhtar also penned "Trishul", "Zanjeer", "Seeta Aur Geeta", "Haathi Mere Saathi", "Yaadon Ki Baarat" and "Mr India".
