Historic Charminar to be closed

The city police wants entry of visitors into the historic Charminar closed. The cops fear that the 400 plus years old monument may soon turn into a favourite suicide or murder point. They cite the case of Sameera, who was pushed from the first floor of the monument by her lover, in their defence.

The police have requested Archaeology officials, reminding them that four members of a family committed suicide by jumping from the monument in 1986, following which entry for visitors was banned.

It was reopened in 2003 but again a housewife jumped from the monument in 2005. "We have requested Archaeology and Tourism officials to ban the entry into Charminar to prevent such incidents, said Charminar Assistant Commissioner of Police K Babu Rao.

However, the Archaeological Survey of India and the Tourism Department are in no mood to stop entry of visitors into the edifice. "Security should be increased and measures should be taken to prevent such incidents. Restricting visitors is not the solution," officials said.

"We are not going to close Charminar for tourists because of such incidents. The closure of Charminar is not a solution and it will not stop such incidents in future. Hyderabad is synonymous with Charminar and if it is closed the city will lose its charm. Charminar is not a jail. It’s an historic monument and closure of its access to the public is not justified," said K Veerabhadra Rao, superintendent of ASI.

"Security at Charminar is not enough. ASI should plan to increase the security around Charminar to stop such incidents in future. The security guards around Charminar are never on duty during such incidents," said Mohammed Afzal, member of The Peoples Union for Civic Action and Rights.

"It is high time the custodians of Charminar made some stringent rules for safety of tourists coming there. ASI and Tourism department should take initiative of creating awareness among tourists. These kinds of incidents will put a black mark on the historical value of Charminar," said Veda Kumar, president of Forum for Better Hyderabad.

On an average 3,000 persons visit Charminar every day and 10,000 on weekends. There have been instances when foreign tourists have been harassed by local youth to pose for a photograph with them. The police remained spectators.