Police Plea for Peaceful Holi Celebrations

Hyderabad:Police chiefs of the tri-commissionerates in the city geared up personnel for the Holi festivities beginning on Tuesday. Police commissioner V.C. Sajjanar, Avinash Mohanty and Dr M. Ramesh issued a set of instructions for personnel. Hyderabad police commissioner Sajjanar on Monday warned of strict action against those causing inconvenience. Sajjanar held a video conference with officials and reviewed arrangements for the festival. He directed officers to prioritise visible policing to prevent untoward incidents, instructing Blue Colts and patrolling staff to maintain constant vigilance across the city.

Sajjanar made it clear that forcibly applying colours on unwilling persons will not be tolerated. He warned against throwing colours in public places, on pedestrians, or on vehicles, and said SHE Teams will monitor the city to curb indecent behaviour towards women.

He advised the public to use natural colours instead of chemical ones and reiterated that DJs are not permitted during celebrations. Vehicles will be seized if youths are found roaming in groups on roads and creating nuisance, he added.

Malkajgiri police commissioner Avinash Mohanty issued a circular stating the precautionary measures to maintain law and order for Holi, noting that it came against the backdrop of Ramzan. The order directed special focus on preventing harassment of women, forcible collection of donations, provocative sloganeering, misuse of loudspeakers and the throwing of colours on mosques or members of other communities. Police personnel deployed on bandobust duty have been instructed not to allow splashing of colours on unwilling persons or passersby.

He directed officials to cover mosques located in mixed-population areas with white cloth (kanath) to prevent accidental or deliberate splashing of colours. Assistance is to be extended to GHMC and municipal officials in closing slaughterhouses and retail beef shops on Holi. Further, police have also been directed to closely monitor social media platforms.

Cyberabad commissioner Dr M. Ramesh also released an advisory asserting to adhere to safer Holi celebrations. He prohibited the movement of groups of vehicles on the streets and public places disturbing peace and order and or causing inconvenience, annoyance or danger to public.

Vigilance raids detect revenue loss of ₹10.79 crore

Hyderabad:Vigilance and enforcement (V&E) department officials detected a revenue loss of ₹10.79 crore during February, including penalties imposed and a realisation of ₹1.96 crore, following statewide checks across Telangana.

The department carried out intensive enforcement drives in coordination with officials from the transport (RTA), state tax (GST), mines and geology, commercial taxes, forest, civil supplies, and police departments. Director-General Shikha Goel said the operations included joint route checks, surprise inspections, and night-long monitoring at highways, Outer Ring Road exits, and major toll plazas. Over 1,000 vehicles were inspected, leading to the seizure of more than 200 vehicles for violations.

Cases were booked under the Motor Vehicles Act, GST Act, Mines & Geology Act, Forest Act, and Essential Commodities Act for offences such as overloading, non-payment of motor vehicle tax, absence of valid permits and e-way bills, illegal transportation of sand, gravel, bricks, and other minerals, and diversion of essential commodities.

“These surprise raids led to the seizure of 24 vehicles, including six excavators, two lorries, tippers, and 15 tractors involved in unlawful excavation. A total of 245 metric tonnes of illegal sand was recovered, and 19 individuals were apprehended. Multiple criminal cases were registered under the BNS, Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, and Motor Vehicles Act,” Shikha Goel said.

The department confirmed that the total revenue loss detected during February was ₹10.79 crore, with ₹1.96 crore realised.