The Kerala Police on Tuesday initiated measures to ensure fool-proof security for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
For one, State Police Chief (SPC) Loknath Behera has ordered officers to file a detailed report on localities vulnerable to Maoist influence in north Kerala.
The election security preparedness planning comes in the wake of a videoconference held by the Election Commission of India on Monday with top bureaucrats in Kerala, including the Chief Secretary, the State’s Chief Electoral Officer, and Mr. Behera. Officers said Maoists resorted to theatrical action as a ruse to project their power in the run-up to the polls and deter local arms of the government.
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Surveillance intensified
The police have intensified their operations to deter Maoists from establishing an armed presence in the expansive forested ‘Northern tri-junction’ of the contiguous States of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka.
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The police have also finalised a roll of officers, from the sub-inspector to Inspector General of Police, who have served in the same district for three years or more for transfer before the start of the election process.
It has made various requisitions for Centre Paramilitary units to police sensitive areas in Kannur and Kozhikode, which had witnessed hartal-related violence and stand-off between political parties recently.