Security beefed up at Eden Gardens for KKR-Mumbai match

KOLKATA - Security has been beefed up in and around Eden Gardens Stadium here ahead of Monday’s Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Mumbai Indians, a top police officer said Sunday.

All necessary arrangements have been made following twin low-intensity explosions at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore Saturday that left at least 15 people injured, including five security personnel.

“We have stepped up security arrangements at Eden Gardens for Monday’s IPL match. We are also making special security arrangements for tomorrow’s (Monday’s) match,” Kolkata Police Commissioner Gautam Mohan Chakroborty told reporters.

“We would request spectators not to bring any kind of handbags because we won’t allow handbags inside the stadium. But women spectators can bring traditional small handbags,” Chakroborty said.

He said: “We would deploy special teams with gadgets in and around Eden Gardens. We have already beefed up security measures at the Eden Gardens after Saturday’s bomb blasts in Bangalore.”

Two low-intensity explosions occurred outside the jam-packed Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore Saturday, less than an hour before an IPL match between the home team Royal Challengers and Mumbai Indians.

The match was delayed by an hour and it began after police gave the green signal.