Choppers ready,security in place for D-Day

The police have set up air-bases at Lucknow,Meerut and Varanasi to take care of western,central and the eastern UP. Meerut Range IG Chandra Prakash said: “We do not require night-vision devices,as the chooper can fly at a low height. Plus,it is equipped with strong light beams.” The chopper in Meerut would keep a vigil on 18 districts.

Besides,PAC personnel have been deployed on boats in the rivers around Faizabad,Kanpur,Saharanpur,Agra and Varanasi.

The ADG (Law & Order),Brij Lal,said all districts are on high alert and 18 of the sensitive districts have been provided with an ample number of CPMF and the PAC personnel. The districts include Lucknow,Faizabad,Gonda,Balrampur,Bahraich,Gorakhpur,Mau,Azamgarh,Varanasi,Allahabad,Kanpur,Agra,Aligarh,Bareilly,Moradabad,Saharanpur,Muzaffarnagar and Meerut. The DGP Headquarters have issued directives to SPs of the districts which had faced the backlash of Babri demolition. These include Kanpur,Lucknow,Bahraich,Gorakhpur,Mau,Varanasi,Balrampur,Gonda,Meerut,Bareilly,Moradabad,Allahabad and Agra.

SVM Tripathi,who was the state DGP during Babri demolition,said: “Kanpur had been the worst affected in 1992. The violence had continued even after I went on Central deputation on December 24.”

Security cover has also been provided to the three of the judges of the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court who have to issue the verdict. One platoon of PAC personnel (about 25 armed men),five CRPF men,one each of the escort and the pilot vehicles and a personal security officer (PSO) have been deputed for the security of each judge. A deputy SP rank official has been made the in-charge of the security arrangement.