Security stepped up, 90K cops to keep hawk eye on troublemakers

Security has been tightened in Delhi for Sunday’s elections to prevent any violence of law and order during polling. Police personnel have been deployed across the city to check misuse of firearms, money and liquor to influence voters.

Amid intelligence inputs that some ‘anti-social elements’ may cause disruption and involve in violence during polling, Delhi Police will deploy 56,000 paramilitary personnel and homeguard jawans, besides 33,000 Delhi Police personnel from 13 districts and other units to guard polling booths.

Police personnel will be armed with sophisticated weapons and anti-riot gear during the poll across 13,022 booths to keep an eye on ‘trouble makers’.

A total of 4,748 polling booths have been marked as ‘sensitive’ and ‘hyper-sensitive’. A senior police officer said personnel will be deployed in civil clothes in and around the sensitive and hyper-sensitive polling booths.

According to police records, there are 3,284 sensitive and 1,464 hyper-sensitive booths, identified on parameters that include the number of cases registered in the area, demographic composition and the history of areas during previous polls. The booths were marked as sensitive in consultation with the election commission.

A senior officer said one head constable and three constables will be deployed at each sensitive booth. One head constable assisted by six constables will guard each of the 1,464 hyper sensitive booths . One head constable assisted by a constable will man the remaining booths.

They will be supervised by assistant sub-inspectors, sub-inspectors and inspectors. Home guard jawans and paramilitary personnel will also guard the polling booths.

“Surveillance have been mounted over criminal elements and muscle men. Special vigil is being kept at the border check posts to check smuggling of liquor, trafficking of illegal fire arms, besides transportation of currency,” said Dependra Pathak, chief spokesperson of Delhi Police.