Mumbai, January 08: Mumbai may have safely negotiated the festive season despite hightened terror threat, but it seems the worst is not over yet. The police have decided to change the route of Mumbai Marathon, scheduled for January 16, following specific intelligence inputs about a possible terror attack.
While the top brass is tightlipped about the changed route and the nature of the threat, police are only waiting for the organisers to approach them for security clearance before effecting a change of route.
Over 40,000 runners take part in Mumbai Marathon and at times it does get chaotic. Police believe the terrorists could take advantage of such situations and launch an assault.
Some of the world’s best long-distance runners take part in Mumbai Marathon and a large number of celebrities also participate to support various causes.
While Joint Commissioner of Police (traffic) Vivek Phansalkar refused to comment, Commisioner of Police Sanjeev Dayal did not deny the possibility of a terror attack.
Confirming that a change of route is under consideration, he said: “We have not yet taken a decision. The organisers are yet to meet us for the final route clearance. Things will be discussed then. It is being done because of a variety of reasons.”
When asked if there was a terror threat to the Marathon or the decision to change the route had been taken to avoid inconveniencing the public, he said, “The reasons are serious,” but did not elaborate.
Police are taking the intelligence input on a possible terror strike very seriously
The Marathon, which is being organised for the past six years, starts at CST and hits Marine Drive at Hotel Trident. It winds up the Napeansea Road and passes by Haji Ali to reach Worli.
From Worli, the runners take the Mahim causeway to reach Bandra, the half-way mark. On their way back, they take the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.
While residents of buildings flanking the route have earlier complained that the Marathon disrupts their lives, a PIL filed on the issue was rejected by the court on the grounds that it is only a three-hour event.
Mumbai has been under a constant terror threat since Christmas when Crime Branch released the sketch of a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist who was believed to have entered the city with three associates.
There was another input which said that Indian Mujahideen operatives could target vital installations in the city during the festive season.
There were similar alerts issued by the Maharashtra ATS and the north Mumbai police.
–Agencies