Cops ensure peaceful Valentine’s Day for Chandigarh couples

CHANDIGARH - Elaborate security arrangements were made all across the city, especially at hotels, restaurants and discotheques, to ensure a smooth Valentines Day Monday.

A large number of police personnel was deployed at the famous Geri Route, a street frequented by young couples here, where cops clearly outnumbered the youngsters.

Heavy presence of policemen, barricades and check posts on the three-kilometre stretch covering the upscale Sectors 9, 10 and 11, however, left many youths dejected. They complained of unnecessary frisking of their vehicles and questioning by the police.

This is just like any other day and what is the need of deploying so many cops here? It is really frightening to see so many men in khaki roaming around you, said Sonika Jindal, a student whose college is located on the Geri Route.

Nearly a dozen educational institutions are located on this road. Panjab University campus is also at a distance of 500 metres from here. The street was christened Geri (joyride) Route many years back with youngsters zipping around on motorbikes and swanky cars.

Entry to Panjab University campus in Sector 14 was also restricted to avoid any untoward incident.

Every year, there is unprecedented police cover on Geri Route on Valentines Day. Therefore, I have decided to go uphill with my girl-friend to avoid police harassment, college-goer Sidharatha Sharma told IANS.

Many youngsters and couples had planned trips to Kasauli, Dharampur and Timber Trail, located on the periphery of this union territory.

This security cover is necessary to avoid incidents of teasing and to keep a tab on unruly youths. But we are making sure that nobody is being harassed by the police, a police officer, who was deployed on the Geri Route, told IANS.