Delhi's Red Fort shut for visitors as Independence Day nears

Red Fort has been shut for the public and the Special Protection Group (SPG) has taken over the control of the premises to secure and sanitise it ahead of Independence Day. Kite flying around the monument has also been banned and locals are being sensitised about it. Police have roped in around a dozen expert kite-flyers as volunteers.

According to police, Red Fort was closed to the public from July 26 in view of Independence Day. The cops are chalking out plans for the security arrangements, with the NSG, SPG, CAPFs and Delhi Police being responsible for the same. Multilayer security arrangements will be made to ensure that no untoward incidents take place. A 200m area will be guarded by the paramilitary forces and the rest by Delhi Police.

Police will install automatic facial recognition systems on the Red Fort premises and outside the gate. A temporary control room will also be set up to keep tabs on suspicious movements and for coordination with the forces. Around 300 buildings have been identified where spotters will be deployed with binoculars. They they will alert the cops about any suspicious movement. Delhi Police has also intensified patrolling and anti-sabotage checks.