The Presidents are coming! Mumbai on high alert

Elaborate security arrangements have been made ahead of the visit of President Pratibha Patil and her Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev in Mumbai on Wednesday, the police said.

After her arrival, President Patil will attend a programme on release of commemorative postage stamp on Yashvantrao Chavan in south Mumbai on Wednesday evening.

"The next day the President would attend a centenary celebrations of the Central Bank of India in the morning in south Mumbai. In the evening, she will be attend the golden jubilee celebrations of the Kohinoor Group in central Mumbai," said Joint Police Commissioner (law and order) Rajnish Seth.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will be in the metropolis on Wednesday during which he would visit the Indian Institute of Technology, Powai and the film city in Goregaon to know more about the Hindi film industry. The same day, he will fly back to Moscow, the police said.

"As two Presidents are in the city on the same day, we have made extensive security arrangements," he said refusing to divulge the number of policemen deployed for the security of the high profile visits.

Sources said the quick response teams, state reserve police force, several teams of local police would be deployed for the security of the VVIPs.

Earlier, American President Barack Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy visited Mumbai in November and December respectively.