Biratnagar, January 17:

Security has been beefed up here in the lead-up to the joint mass meeting of the seven parties, scheduled for Saturday. In its meeting held on Tuesday, the security committee headed by Morang chief district officer Madhav Prasad Regmi had decided to beef up security. The move came after different groups began issuing press releases, seeking the deferral of the mass meeting, and blasts occurred in different places.

According to deputy superintendent of police at the Morang district police office Bidyananda Majhi, 250 civilian policemen and personnel of the Armed Police Force were patrolling round the clock in Biratnagar.

Police have intensified security checks of motorcycles and vehicles, while searches have been conducted in hotels and lodges.

Police have urged the hotels, lodges and bars to shut shutters on time.

Chief district officer Madhav Prasad Regmi, superintendent of police at the Morang district police office Yogendra Katuwal and other security officials had gone to Jogbani on Tuesday to meet SSB DIG Shyam Singh.

During the meeting, the team asked the Indian side to beef up security along the border. SSB is learnt to have beefed up security on the border since yesterday.

Meanwhile, in charge of the Morang unit of the JTMM-Jwala Kunwar Singh, issuing a release today, warned that the mass meeting scheduled for January 19 will be foiled. Earlier, an outfit called Ranabir Sena distributed pamphlets and planted bombs in different places.