Mangaluru Police issue guidelines for Ganesha Chaturthi, Eid Milad celebrations
Mangaluru: As the city prepares for the upcoming Ganesha Chaturthi and Eid Milad festivals, Mangaluru Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal has urged residents to celebrate the events peacefully and in strict adherence to the issued guidelines. Ganesha Chaturthi will be celebrated from September 6 to 17, with idols being installed at 165 locations within the Mangaluru police commissionerate limits. Eid Milad will be observed on September 15 and 16.
The celebrations will involve processions across areas classified as hypersensitive, sensitive, and normal, with 22 hypersensitive zones, 64 sensitive zones, and 79 normal zones identified within the city.
A peace meeting was convened on Monday, during which Commissioner Agrawal emphasized that organizers must obtain necessary permissions from various authorities, including Mescom, fire and emergency services, local bodies, and landowners where the idols are to be installed.
Organizers have been instructed to construct pandals with precautions against wind, rain, and fire hazards. Fire-fighting equipment such as sand, water buckets, and fire extinguishers must be readily available. The commissioner also advised against placing inflammable materials near lamps inside the Ganesha mantapas.
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Organizers are required to provide local police with details of the main guests, including their contact information. Permissions from local bodies are mandatory for displaying flexes and banners, which must not contain any provocative content. Furthermore, all tableaux and dance performances should be conducted in a manner that respects all religious sentiments.
The use of firecrackers has been prohibited near hospitals and densely populated areas after 10 PM.
For idol immersion processions, permission from the police is required, and organizers must follow designated routes. The police have directed that no provocative slogans be used during the processions, and that vehicles used for tableaux must have valid fitness certificates and insurance. Volunteers participating in the processions are to wear matching uniforms and ensure that no vehicles are parked along the procession routes. Additionally, permission is required for the use of sound systems, which must adhere to the prescribed time limits. The use of DJs has been strictly prohibited.
Commissioner Agrawal stated that these measures are essential to ensure a harmonious celebration, and religious leaders have been briefed on the guidelines to promote communal harmony.
In the Dakshina Kannada district, Ganesha idols will be installed at 221 locations, with eight sites in hypersensitive areas, 53 in sensitive areas, and 160 in normal areas.
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8 children between ages of 1 and 14 dead after mass shooting in Louisiana, police say
Shreveport(US) (AP): A gunman in Louisiana killed eight children in shootings at two different homes early Sunday in the nation's deadliest mass shooting in more than two years, police in Shreveport said.
The victims ranged in age from one to about 14 years old, said Shreveport police spokesperson Chris Bordelon. A total of 10 were shot and some of the children were related to the suspect, Bordelon said.
The gunman later died after a chase with officers who fired at the suspect, Bordelon said. The suspect stole a car while leaving the scene of the shootings and was followed by police, according to Bordelon.
Police did not release the name of the suspect but did say he was an adult male. The shootings were the result of a “domestic disturbance,” Bordelon said.
Officials said they were still gathering details at the crime scenes south of downtown Shreveport — the two homes and a third location.
“This is an extensive scene unlike anything most of us have ever seen,” he said.
It was the deadliest mass shooting in the US since eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb in January 2024, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.
At a news conference outside the residence where one of the shootings occurred, officials appeared stunned, requesting patience and prayers from the community as they sorted through multiple crime scenes.
“I just don't know what to say, my heart is just taken aback,” Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said. “I cannot begin to imagine how such an event could occur.”
“This is a tragic situation — maybe the worst tragic situation we've ever had,” said Tom Arceneaux, mayor of the city in northwestern Louisiana with about 180,000 residents. “It's a terrible morning.”
Louisiana State Police say their detectives have been asked by Shreveport police to investigate. In a statement, state police say no officers were harmed in the shooting that involved an officer after a police pursuit into Bossier City on Sunday morning.
State police are asking anyone with pictures, video or information to share it with state police detectives.
Louisiana Gov Jeff Landry said in a statement that he and his wife were heartbroken. “We're deeply grateful to the law enforcement officers and first responders working tirelessly on the scene,” he added.
