As the state government has decided that state-of-the-art equipment will be installed to monitor the entire Sangam area during Mahakumbh-2025, the entire infrastructure to keep a close vigil on the mela area will be managed by the Smart city authorities.
The infrastructure will be operated by a private entity, but the control will be with the government security agency, controlled centrally from Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC).
Like 2019 Kumbh, the Prayagraj Smart City Limited has once again been entrusted with the responsibility of developing a surveillance system for monitoring the Mahakumbh area for the safety of the devotees. In the last Kumbh, Prayagraj Smart City Limited had purchased all the equipment and installed the same. However, this time all the needed equipment will be outsourced by them. These security equipment will be linked to the ICCC as was the case in 2019. The district administration and the district police control the ICCC. According to mission manager (technical) of Prayagraj Smart City, Sanjeev Sinha, "Private agencies have been invited to develop surveillance system for Mahakumbh as there is nothing new in this as several events, within and outside the country, are organised with the help of private agencies which are hired for the surveillance system, he added.
Similar arrangements will be there in Maha Kumbh too for which we have estimated to spend Rs 15 crore. In Kumbh-2019, various equipment were installed for monitoring the movement of devotees, vehicles etc in the vast mela area and these were controlled through ICCC. Later, when Kumbh Mela was over, all the CCTV cameras and other equipment were installed in the city and these devices are linked to ICCC which monitors all major intersections and major locations in the city. The surveillance system that would be put in place during Mahakumbh would manage several aspects. The system will monitor the crowd movement through a network of CCTV cameras. Likewise, the lost and found centre will be revamped into a state-of-the-art facility. Technology will also be used in crowd management and all parking sites will be monitored by cameras. There will be a number of display sites where important messages will be displayed and security devices with sensors will be installed at key locations. There will be arrangements for data centre and disaster recovery as video analysis of protective measures will be done. The security and traffic system will also be linked to ICCC.
ARRESTED: The STF team arrested a contract killer from Bandhwa Tahirpur intersection near Andawa turn Jhunsi. An FIR was lodged against him three months ago at Jhunsi police station for taking ‘supari’ for murder of a person. His wife had conspired with her lover. At that time the STF had arrested the lover and his girlfriend and sent them to jail. However, Manoj Pasi, who took the ‘supari’, was absconding. The STF team recovered a 315 bore pistol, two cartridges, a mobile and some cash from him. The STF claims that more than a dozen FIRs are registered against him.
Manoj Pasi said Kavita Singh along with her lover Surendra Singh had given ‘supari’ to him to kill her husband Sunil Kumar Singh. He, was about to kill Sunil along with his accomplices Subhash Pasi, Saurabh Pasi, while he was going to catch the train, but the plan flopped when Kavita and her lover, were caught. A case has been registered against the arrested accused at Jhunsi police station.
On March 12, 2023, the STF team had arrested Surendra Singh of Jhunsi area, Gangotri Nagar, Havelia, Jhunsi, and his paramour Kavita Singh, wife of Sunil of Katsari village under Kadipur police station, Sultanpur.
During interrogation, it was revealed that Surendra and Kavita had conspired to kill Sunil. Meanwhile, STF got a clue and it arrested Surendra and Kavita.
During interrogation, they revealed of them told the name of Manoj Pasi of Chak Karim, Hanumanganj, Saraiyanat, who had taken contract to kill Sunil. STF Deputy SP Navendu Singh said the team which made the arrest included inspector Satya Prakash Singh, head constable Umesh Kumar Singh, Dhirendra Kumar Yadav, Gunjan Kumar Singh, Randhir Singh, Satish Chandra besides SI Yogendra Kumar Singh and Navneet Kumar Singh.