Security beefed up with 1.4 lakh personnel for Karnataka elections: DGP

Bengaluru, May 11 (UNI) Elaborate security arrangements have been made to ensure free and fair elections when Karnataka goes to polls on Saturday to elect 223 candidates for the Legislative Assembly, Director General of Police Neelamani Raju said. Speaking at a press conference here on Friday, Ms Raju said in all over 1.4 lakh police forces including officers will be on duty to ensure peaceful polling. This includes Karnataka civil and armed police forces, Home Guards and Karnataka Industrial Security force. Besides this civil and armed police forces from several other states besides the central forces that include Border Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Central Industrial Security Force, Rapid Action Force and Seema Suraksha Dal. She said 584 companies of central forces have already been deployed across the state and one more company was expected today. The central and other State police forces that have been requisitioned are drawn from Delhi, Northeastern States, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. She said the Karnataka police had started preparations for polls as early as January 17 this year and after the Election Commission announced the dates on Mar 26 and issued notification subsequently daily reports were sent on daily basis and EC was satisfied with the security arrangements. While Additional DGP (Law and Order) Kamal Panth is in charge of deployment of police forces from Karnataka and other States, ADGP (KSRP) Sandeep Patil had been entrusted the work of deployment of central forces. Surpassing all previous records police have booked 1,229 cases of violation of Model Code of Conduct so far and Rs 166 crore cash and other election-related items have been seized. Check posts had been set up across the state and on the borders with other States to ensure that unwanted elements and material including cash was not transported to woo the voters, she said. Mr Panth said in sensitive areas like Mangalore, Mandya, Bangalore rural, Hubli, RAF will be deployed. He said out of the 58,302 booths in the state, 12,000 have been marked as critical and 21,464 booths are being covered by paramilitary forces. Besides, this there will also be State police deployment. He said police officials had started taking action for preventive custody since yesterday and rounded up thousands of anti-social elements and this will intensify this today. Source: Uniindia.com