Hotel Taj Palace and Tower Cordoned off for Hillary’s Stay

Having born the brunt of last November’s terror attacks, Hotel Taj Palace and Tower in South Mumbai has been made into a fortress for the stay of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is slated to arrive in the city on Friday night.

Clinton, who is scheduled to be for a little over a day in Mumbai, will stay in the Tower Wing of the hotel because the Heritage wing housing presidential suits is being renovated after getting severely damaged in terror attack.

Police informed that ahead of the visit, the entire floor where she would be staying had been blocked off. In addition, background checks of other guests staying at the hotel have been conducted. the Bomb Disposal and Detection Squad (BDDS) will check the areas where Clinton is expected to visit, police added.

Plain clothes and uniformed policemen will guard the lanes leading to the hotel while explosive detectors and other surveillance equipment have been installed inside, they said.

Armed policemen from special units of the state police, the Central agencies and personnel from the State Reserve Police Force and Rapid Action Force will to be deployed in the areas.

City police officials said there are unlikely to be any traffic diversions in the areas through which the entourage of the US dignitary will pass.