The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Territorial police shore up vigil along coast Law and order

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Tuesday, Jan 29, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Territorial police shore up vigil along coast Law and order

This comes against the backdrop of intensified conflict between the Armed Forces of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, says Rajesh B. Nair

Against the backdrop of intensification of the conflict between the Armed Forces of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) in the island and reports of possible intrusion of cadres of the group into Tamil Nadu, the territorial police have stepped up vigil along the coast, especially in Karaikal.

“So far we have not received reports of LTTE activity in our territory. But in the wake of general security scenario and regular alerts issued by the Central Agencies, security has been tightened,” Director General of Police A. S. Khan told The Hindu.

Mr. Khan also said shortage of manpower hampered operations in coastal police stations and boats to patrol the shoreline.

Though a patrol boat was sanctioned to the Marine Police station in Karaikal, it had developed a technical snag and could not be used, he said. The territorial police had been waiting for clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs to fill 43 vacancies in the coastal stations in the Union Territory, he added.

According to him, five patrol boats were under repair at a dockyard in Goa and were expected to be handed over in a few months.

Senior Superintendent of Police (Crime and Intelligence) B. Srikanth said the force was planning to use the services of fishing boats. “States like Maharashtra use fishermen’s boats for patrolling. ” he added.

The police have also formed Village Liaison Committees to ensure coordination between fishermen and the police to check any illegal activity, he said. Besides strengthening the manpower and equipping the force with necessary infrastructure, there was no let up on the part of the police to keep a vigil on the activities of outfits sympathetic towards the LTTE.

“The activities of some persons were being closely monitored,” said a police officer of the Special Branch. In Karaikal, the administration had issued instructions to patrol pump owners, medical shops and fair price shops to provide details about supply and stock on a regular basis. The hospitals in Karaikal had been asked to provide details of patients being brought with any bullet injury, he said, adding that the banks had been told to go into accounts which had not been operated and the lockers left unused for a long time. Senior Superintendent of Police, Karaikal, A. Sindhu Pillai, said the force had launched a “tenant verification drive” and landlords had been instructed to check the antecedents of occupants.

They were also closely monitoring the activities of 27 Sri Lankan refugees staying in Karaikal.

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