By IANS,
Chandigarh/Mohali : Hotels and inns in Mohali and nearby Chandigarh have been checked by police in the run up to the India-Pakistan World Cup match to be watched by prime ministers of the two countries.
The searches took place Monday night and early Tuesday.
“We have scrutinised the records of guests and gathered information about tourists coming from other places,” a Chandigarh police official said.
There are over 40 small and big hotels with some 1,400 rooms in Chandigarh, located about 10 km from Mohali, the venue of the Wednesday semifinal.
Chandigarh’s hotel Taj, where Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani will stay, bears a fortress look, with heavy deployment of security personnel inside and outside the hotel. The Indian and Pakistani teams are also staying in the same hotel.
Police also searched Mohali’s hotels early Tuesday.
“This was part of our preparations for the security arrangements for the match. We have directed all hotel owners to maintain proper records of the arrival of foreign tourists,” a police official said.
A large number of Pakistanis are expected to watch the Mohali match.
Police have deployed five levels of security around the Mohali stadium. No traffic will be allowed around a 2.5-km radius of the stadium.