Mysore/Mysuru, Dec. 29 -- Following the helium cylinder blast outside Jayamarthanda Gate of Mysore Palace on Thursday night that claimed three lives and subsequent public outcry over security lapses, the city Police yesterday cleared petty shops and evicted roadside vendors near Varaha Gate of the Palace, opposite the Gun House.

A commando platoon has been stationed near Varaha Gate with strict instructions not to allow any vendor to set up stalls or conduct business in the Palace vicinity.

Several petty shops selling tea, juice and eatables, along with roadside hawkers dealing in stuffed toys, handicrafts, belts and clothes, had mushroomed near Varaha Gate, hampering the smooth movement of tourists entering and exiting the Palace.

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