The Hindu : Front Page : 13,000 security personnel deployed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 08, 2006

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Front Page

13,000 security personnel deployed

Staff Reporter

5,983 polling booths in Chennai district

CHENNAI: The Chennai City Police have deployed nearly 13,000 security personnel in the 5,983 polling booths in the district, including those in Poonamallee, Ponneri and Tiruporur.

Each booth will be manned by either a police officer or a special police officer (drawn from Home Guards, ex-service men or retired police officers).

Additional forces have been deployed wherever there is a cluster of booths, informs a senior official. "If there are 9 to 10 booths in a centre, there will be an equal number of security personnel at the booths. There will also be five more personnel within 100 metres of the booths."

Apart from this, 12 companies of Central paramilitary force have been deployed in 299 booths identified as `sensitive.' Other than the officials on specific election duty, patrol parties, 354 mobile units and fortified `striking force' under each Assistant Commissioner of Police are monitoring the booths, says the official.

Senior officials say 1,080 persons with "adverse police records" have been identified and made to sign a bond in front of an executive magistrate." Their actions will be monitored. If they fail to "maintain good conduct," they will be kept under preventive detention.

The officials say a special cell in Chennai district has secured 1,696 persons against whom non-bailable warrants are pending.

More than 1,580 arms have been surrendered.

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