With prominent dignitaries, VVIPs and lakhs of people reaching Puttaparthi to pay their last respects to spiritual leader Sathya Sai Baba, who passed away on Sunday morning with cardiac and respiratory failure at the Sri Satya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, the state government has stepped up security in the district, and has imposed traffic restrictions as part of maintaining law and order to prevent untoward incidents.
According to Anantapur Superintendent Of Police Syed Shahnawaz Qasim, the police have posted an additional 5,000 personnel at all vital points across the district, as a number of eminent persons have been heading towards the Sai Kulwant Hall at Prashanthi Nilayam in Puttaparthi, the place where Baba had lived all his life.
Sathya Sai Baba's body will lie in state for 2 days at the Sai Kulwant Hall for the darshan of general public, before being buried on Wednesday.
The environment within the Sai Kulwant Hall was that of grief and despair. People coming out of the hall said that it was an unnerving experience to see Sathya Sai Baba's dead body.
Shahnawaz Qasim said that the traffic coming from Mamillakunta to Puttaparthi will be diverted at Jagarajupalli; traffic coming from Bonenayaktanda, Badenayaktanda, Beedupalli, Brahmanapalli and Aenumalapalli will be regulated at Kambalapalli; and traffic coming from Bukkapatnam and Kottacheruvu will be regulated at Nagepalli.
He appealed to Sathya Sai Baba's devotees to cooperate with the police in the maintenance of traffic.
Earlier, Home Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy had directed Director General Of Police K Aravinda Rao to intensify security in Puttaparthi. (INN)