Lens on slums near stadium to check crime during WC

Bhubaneswar: The commissionerate police have decided to keep tabs on criminals living in slums near the Kalinga Stadium, which is one of the venues of the 2023 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup, to prevent any crime from taking place during the tournament.
“We have already intensified our patrolling and enforcement activities in most slums, including those falling under the Nayapalli and Saheed Nagar police areas in the 2km radius of the stadium. Police personnel have been deployed in civilian clothes near the stadium. Foot patrolling is being conducted from evening till late at night,” DCP Prateek Singh said.
At least 10 slums are under the police’s watch where anti-socials, mostly thieves, snatchers, drug peddlers, illicit liquor vendors and extortionists reside. Of the 10 slums, Salia Sahi, the biggest slum in the state, is barely 1.5km from the Stadium, while the Science Park slum is about 500m away.
“I have my team to identify notorious goons staying near the stadium and keep a hawk’s eye on their movements. Police stations have been asked to show zero tolerance to any kind of nuisance created by such anti-socials around the stadium. We have also sought the cooperation of some responsible locals to keep an eye on the tenants and outsiders in the slums. They have been requested to alert us if they come across any suspicious movement of outsiders in the slums,” Singh added.
The security system of Kalinga Stadium has been enhanced over the last few years following a series of thefts of articles belonging to sportspersons in the past. At least six cases of theft were reported between September and December 2015 when articles of athletes were stolen from the stadium’s hostel and the dormitory. In September 2015, miscreants stole 10 cell phones and nearly Rs 25,000 in cash from the stadium’s complex.