The Madras High Court on Friday refused to order deployment of the central paramilitary force for the smooth conduct of the urban local bodies elections in Coimbatore district after the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission (TNSEC), the State government and the police assured it that voting would be free and fair.
Justices M. Duraiswamy and T.V. Thamilselvi disposed of a batch of writ petitions that complained of violence in the district, after recording the submissions made by Advocate-General R. Shunmugasundaram, senior counsel P.S. Raman representing the TNSEC, and senior counsel P. Wilson for the Director-General of Police.
While Mr. Raman assured the court that previous court orders on free and fair polls would be followed in letter and spirit, Mr. Wilson said the elections were to be conducted for one Corporation, seven municipalities and 33 town panchayats in the district. He said 76 wards fall under the Coimbatore city police limits. Further, 24 Corporation wards fall within the Coimbatore district police limits. In Coimbatore city alone, 154 polling booths, out of 1,956 booths, had been identified as critical and vulnerable. Adequate police strength had been provided at those booths. In the district police limits, 396 booths at 81 locations had been identified as critical and vulnerable.
He said 24 patrols, 73 striking forces, 68 mobile patrols and 95 mobile parties had been deployed in the Coimbatore city police limits. One Inspector-General of Police, four Superintendents of Police, two Additional Superintendents of Police, 14 Assistant Commissioners, 46 Inspectors and 2,700 other police personnel had been pressed into service.
In the district police limits, 24 patrols, 58 striking forces, 84 mobile patrols and 95 mobile parties had been formed. One Deputy Inspector-General of Police, one Superintendent of Police, two Additional Superintendents of Police, 16 Deputy Superintendents of Police, 40 Inspectors and 2,000 police personnel of other ranks had been deployed, he said.
Stating that no law and order incident had been reported in Coimbatore since the elections were announced, Mr. Wilson said only a few incidents of damage to property and assault had been reported and immediate action had been taken.
