The district police have identified 168 critical and vulnerable polling stations in the district and drawn elaborate security arrangements for the peaceful conduct of the local body elections on October 17 and 19.
“We are planning to deploy more than 3,000 police personnel, including Armed Reserve police, home guards and ex-servicemen and post armed guards at all the sensitive polling booths,” Superintendent of Police N. Manivannan said on Tuesday.
He said police officers in all the divisions have been asked to take out a list of anti-social elements and those who had indulged in violence and acts, disturbing the polling process in the 2011 local body elections and arrest them by next week.
As part of the precautionary measures being taken ahead of the local body elections and to maintain peace between two communities after the recent murder of Hindu Munnani leader C. Sasikumar in Coimbatore, police have arrested 49 persons under section 7 (1) (A) of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act.
Police had arraigned 51 accused after registering 38 cases. Except two accused who were absconding, all the others were arrested and remanded in judicial custody, he said.
In the first phase of elections on October 17, six urban local bodies, including Ramanathapuram, Rameswaram and Keelakarai Municipalities and more than 200 rural local bodies, including 205 village panchayats would go to poll.
In the second phase on October 19, elections would be held for five urban local bodies, including Paramakudi municipality and about 250 rural local bodies, including 224 village panchayats.
The SP said Deputy Superintendents of Police and Inspectors of Police have been asked to visit villages and interact with village leaders to nip in the bud, problems in the villages and ensure fair and free elections. Police personnel have also been asked to visit sensitive, critical and vulnerable polling stations and take necessary precautionary measures, he added.
DSPs and Inspectors asked to visit villages and interact with village leaders to nip in the bud, problems and ensure fair and free elections: SP
