‘Operation Sindoor’: Police up surveillance in Jalandhar

In the backdrop of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the ‘Operation Sindoor’, the Jalandhar Commissionerate Police has issued a series of sweeping security directives aimed at tightening surveillance and pre-empting any potential threats.

The orders, which came into force from May 6 and will remain effective until July 5, invoke Section 163 of the Indian Civil Security Code, 2023, and reflect a significant ramp-up in preventive policing across the city.

Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur has directed that no hotel, motel, guest house or inn within the Commissionerate’s jurisdiction may house any person without verified identity documentation. All guests must submit a self-attested copy of a valid government-issued photo ID and their mobile numbers must be verified by the establishment. A detailed register must be maintained in a prescribed format, and daily reports must be submitted to the local police station by 10 am. Weekly verification of the register will be conducted by the police every Monday.

In cases involving foreign nationals, the establishments are required to immediately notify the Foreigner Registration Office at the Police Commissioner’s Office.

To bolster surveillance, installation of CCTV cameras has been made mandatory in corridors, lifts, receptions and main entrances of all such establishments.

The orders also place legal responsibility on hotel and guest house owners to inform the police if any suspicious individual stays on their premises or if a person wanted in another district or state is found to be residing or visiting there.

Citing the volatile atmosphere and the need to deter unlawful assemblies or potential acts of violence, the police have also banned the carrying of any kind of weapon, including knives, sharp objects, baseball bats or any lethal item within city limits. Public gatherings, processions with arms and any assembly of five or more individuals engaging in slogan shouting have been prohibited.

In a separate order, arms have been banned at marriage functions, social gatherings and events held in banquet halls, hotels or marriage palaces. The onus of ensuring this lies with the owners of the venues, who are also required to install CCTV cameras and maintain surveillance during events.

The Commissioner has directed all house owners to notify the nearest Police Sanjha Kendra before hiring domestic help or allowing tenants or PG occupants. No individual is to be housed without prior police intimation, as part of an effort to track and vet unfamiliar individuals residing in the city.