NSG, bomb disposal team: How Ahmedabad is prepping for the India-Pakistan cricket World Cup clash

India beat Australia last Sunday at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium to kick off their World Cup 2023 campaign. The Men in Blue will compete with nine additional teams on the global platform. However, the most anticipated battle for the country is against Pakistan on 14 October. Due to threats, high-level security procedures have been put in place for the India-Pakistan match considering their sensitive nature. For the high-stakes match, Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium and the entire city will be secured by more than 11,000 members of various agencies, including India’s elite counter-terror force National Security Guard (NSG), Rapid Action Force (RAF), home guards, and Gujarat Police. Let’s take a closer look. 7,000 police personnel, 4,000 home guards to be deployed At the stadium in Motera, India will meet Pakistan in a match that is anticipated to draw over a lakh spectators, including hundreds of VVIPs, in what is regarded as one of the hottest cricketing rivalries. The stadium, which is billed as the biggest cricket venue in the world, can accommodate nearly 1.3 lakh spectators. Along with more than 7,000 police officers, approximately 4,000 home guards would also be stationed around the stadium and in communally sensitive areas of the city, according to Ahmedabad Commissioner of Police Gyanendra Singh Malik. On the day of the match, he said, four senior IPS officers holding the posts of inspector general and deputy inspector general, as well as 21 deputy commissioner of police (DCP) rank officers, will supervise and guide the personnel, as per News18. He claimed that during the previous 20 years, there has never been communal violence in Ahmedabad during a cricket match. Addressing a press conference, Malik said, “This is a match on which everyone is eyeing. We expect that they watch it with sportsmanship. In the past 20 years (when Pakistan played India) nothing happened and this time too, we will ensure that no untoward incident happens.” He mentioned that an additional escort team, along with the usual pilot team, will be provided for Pakistani teams. Furthermore, visitors will only be permitted to bring their phones into the stadium; Malik stated they will not be permitted to bring water bottles or anything else that they can throw inside. They will also seize any posters or banners that contain objectionable messages. According to Indian Express, Additional Commissioner of Police Chirag Koradia said the police will put in place security arrangements from 11 October. “There will be bandobast at the stadium gates, checkings will be carried out on vehicles, hotels, and guest houses, and we will keep a watch on certain elements,” he said. NSG, Bomb disposal teams will also keep watch Malik addressed the media after participating in a meeting in Gandhinagar chaired by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, who reviewed the security arrangements and instructed the police to take all necessary precautions to ensure that no untoward incident occurs during the game. Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi, state DGP Vikas Sahay, GS Malik, and other senior police officers were also present. [caption id=“attachment_13227142” align=“alignnone” width=“738”] ue to threats, high-level security procedures have been put in place for the India-Pakistan match considering their sensitive nature. PTI[/caption] “We will deploy three ‘hit teams’ and one anti-drone team of the NSG. Nine teams of our bomb detection and disposal squad will also be utilized,” Malik said. He added, “Apart from 13 companies of the state reserve police (SRP), we will deploy three companies of Rapid Action Force as part of our security setup. The RAF will keep a watch on communally sensitive areas, such as Dariapur, Karanj, and Shahpur among other places. To help people in case of a stampede, we have already prepared an evacuation plan and rehearsals are also going on at the stadium.” Teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) will also be stationed in the city, he added, to respond to any “chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) emergencies” that may arise during the game. Also read: World Cup 2023: Pakistani presenter Zainab Abbas leaves India after controversial social media posts resurface Threat attack looms over India-Pakistan match Malik provided two reasons for the elaborate security measures in place: the anticipated turnout of over one lakh spectators at the stadium, and a recent email threat made by unknown individuals. According to reports, the Mumbai Police received an email from an unknown sender threatening to harm the prime minister and blow up the Narendra Modi Stadium. Additionally, the sender sought the release of infamous gangster Lawrence Bishnoi from jail and Rs 500 crore. According to Malik, the city police have appropriately “assessed” these threats and have discovered that the mail was sent from a foreign country, including Canada, reported Deccan Herald. “We have assessed such threats and made our deployment plan accordingly. Moreover, such an elaborate security arrangement is necessary when more than one lakh spectators are going to come to watch the match.” “We also took into account the fact that it will be a sensitive match and it can create a communal disturbance,” Malik said, adding that city police are well-prepared to deal with any situation. Indian Express quoted Koradia as saying, “There is no reason to fear… Whatever mail or threat, Ahmedabad Police is competent, and adequate preparation has been made.” The Gujarat Police filed a FIR last month against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the leader of the banned group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), for making threats to turn the Cricket World Cup, which was announced on 5 October at Narendra Modi Stadium, into the “World Terror Cup.” The threat from Pannun was sent via a pre-recorded audio message, according to the Ahmedabad police cyber crime. According to Indian Express, he was booked on charges of conspiring and inciting hatred in violation of the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and the Information Technology Act. With inputs from agencies