Security forces deployed

SURAT, Aug 19: Taking no chances whatsoever, as many as 9000 security personnel have been deployed in the city and district to check poll...

SURAT, Aug 19: Taking no chances whatsoever, as many as 9000 security personnel have been deployed in the city and district to check poll-related violence and irregularities, even as the date for filing nominations ended on Wednesday. While 5000 policemen and other security forces will be stationed in the city, another 4000 will be posted in the rural areas of Surat district, an official statement issued here said.

Special security forces 8212; the Rapid Action Force RAF and Border Security Force BSF 8212; have already been stationed at polling booths identified as sensitive or hyper-sensitive. Of the total 1370 polling booths in Surat city commissionerate limits, 445 have been identified as sensitive while of the total 1384 booths in the rural areas, 291 have been identified as sensitive and another 118 as hyper-sensitive booths.

A meeting, attended by police officials including the Commissioner and DSP, was held in the city on Wednesday to finalise security arrangements in the city and district. As a precautionary measure, 1112 people have been arrested by the city police under preventive custody8217; measures in the past three weeks alone, 18 of whom have been booked under PASA. Likewise, 2873 people have been taken into custody by the district police since January.

Providing details of the security arrangements, police commissioner Kuldip Sharma said that 1291 policemen, 1989 Home Guards and 181 Gram Rakshak Dal jawans will be posted in city police booths.

Apart from these, both additional CP8217;s, DCP8217;s ACP8217;s, PI8217;s and PSI8217;s will patrol the city round the clock in 72 vehicles. 8220;We have set up a network where policemen can reach a scene of offence within four minutes,8221; the commissioner claimed.

ACP M B Pethani added that apart from the four SRP companies that are with the police, five other companies 8212; one RAF, one SSB, one CISF and two BSF 8212; have been called for, and will reach the city shortly.

DSP V M Pargi also said that 1004 police personnel, aided by 392 Home Guards, 1389 Gram Rakshak Dal personnel and the SRP, will man the polling booths of the district. 8220;We will take strict action against those who attempt to disrupt the polling process,8221; Pargi said.

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Election observers Subodh Kumar, K N Kumar and Joginder Singh for the Surat LS constituency as well as L Krishna, B P Mina and Manoj Kumar for the Mandvi LS seat held meetings with district administration and police officials on Wednesday evening, asking them to make special security arrangements at sensitive and hyper-sensitive polling booths.