The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : 255 lost persons reunited during deepam festival

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 16, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

255 lost persons reunited during deepam festival

Staff Reporter

Tiruvannamalai: Police have reunited 255 persons, most of them children, with their families, who went missing in the festival crowd during the Karthigai Deepam Festival in Tiruvannamalai.

Superintendent of Police V.Balakrishnan told reporters here on Monday that “police had set up a control room to share information about missing persons along 14-km girivalam path. There were several “May I Help You?” booths along the girivalam path where the missing persons were given shelter. Announcements were made in public address system along the path about the details of missing persons and those who were recovered by the police.

It helped the public locate their missing relatives, the SP said. During the Deepam festival last year, police managed to reunite 83 persons in the same manner, he added.

As far as surveillance of criminals is concerned police have detained 54 persons, including 8 women on suspicion. After enquiry, 7 of them were found to be ex-convicts and detained for their alleged attempts to indulge in criminal activities during the festival, while the others were let off, Mr. Balakrishnan said.

Police also seized a box full of temple entry passes issued by the temple authorities for the previous year’s deepam festival and sent back the persons who tried enter the temple showing those passes, he said.

“We are thinking of letting the Rs.500 entry ticket holders through separate entry from next year’s deepam festival,” he added.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu