Prying eye to keep vigil at Malang Hill palki function

Drone cameras, cops, SRPF men deployed

Thane police is set to make the annual palki function during the (Urush) Haji Malang hill a huge success, sans any untoward incident. The cops have planned to use drone cameras, and deployed over 1,000 policemen on Haji Malang Hill for the yearly palki function, to be held on Tuesday.

Hindu as well as Muslim pilgrims come together for the palki functions in large numbers.

Police said every year the workers of the Shiv Sena and other Hindu organisations throng the tomb of Shree Macchindranath, the incarnation of Navanath, on Malang–gad in large numbers.

There is a dispute between the two communities over the management of the tomb-temple of Sree Machhindranath. However, it is worshipped by the Hindus for the past so many years. Likewise, Muslims also worship it, claiming to be a tomb of Haji Malang baba.

During the palki to avoid any untoward incident between the two communities, heavy police bandobast is being done for the past several years, as clashes have been reported during the programme in recent years.

Nasir Khan, a trustee of the Haji Malang Baba Dargah trust, said, “Police bandobast is necessary to handle the lakhs of devotees to celebrated the programme. Both the Hindu as well as the Muslim community celebrate it together, but sometimes miscreants play a spoilsport.”

Sunil Patil, the ACP, Ambernath division, said, “We have deployed a large number of Thane police and State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) personnel. Drone camera is used for surveillance in a crowded place. It will help us avert any untoward incident.”