INDIA VOTES 2024: 137 held with drugs, liquor, arms, cash since poll code imposition

Tribune News Service

Nitin Jain

Ludhiana, April 25

Continuing with its drive against violators of the model code of conduct (MCC), which was in force since March 16 when the General Election to the 18th Lok Sabha was announced by the Election Commission of India (ECI), the Ludhiana Commissionerate of Police (CP) have arrested 137 criminals and smugglers with a huge cache of drugs, liquor, arms, ammunition and cash during the past over a month.

Under the special campaign to ensure implementation of the MCC in letter and in spirit and maintain the law and order situation across the Ludhiana CP, which was spread across eight Assembly segments, including seven under Ludhiana and one under the Fatehgarh Sahib Lok Sabha constituency, the police have so far registered 106 FIRs under various offences punishable under relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, Excise Act, Arms Act and the Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 1985, and other relevant law provisions against the arrested suspects.

Besides, almost 75 per cent of the total over 19,447 licensed arms had so far been deposited with the local police and registered gun houses, as mandated by the prohibitory order issued by District Magistrate (DM) Sakshi Sawhney last month.

Commissioner of Police (CP) Kuldeep Singh Chahal told The Tribune here on Thursday that a strict vigil was being maintained across the limits of eight police sub-divisions and 28 police stations falling under the CP jurisdiction to ensure proper enforcement of the poll code and check activities of anti-social elements and criminals.

He disclosed that 17 special nakas (checkpoints) have been set up across the city, of which eight were being monitored through CCTV cameras.

“Regular coordination meetings are being held with counterparts at the district, sub-division and police station level,” Chahal said while revealing that special control rooms and a separate WhatsApp group have been created for sharing the real time information on poll code violations.

The Ludhiana top cop said a company of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) had arrived here so far, which was being used for monitoring inter-district nakas.

Issuing stern warning to the arms licence holders, who have not yet deposited their licensed weapons even after the lapse of the March 31 deadline, the CP said 14,089 of the total 19,447 licensed arms had so far been deposited in compliance with the DM’s prohibitory order while 503 have so far been exempted as per law provisions, which together accounted for 75.03 per cent of the total licensed arms registered in the CP limits. There were a total of 16,239 arms licence holders in Ludhiana.

“A special screening committee has been formed and is fully functional to scrutinise the arms licences and gun houses,” he said, adding that there were 16 gun houses in Ludhiana, which had already been inspected by DSP-rank officers and their security-related audit had also been conducted.

Chahal said 66 drug peddlers had been arrested in 49 cases registered under the NDPS Act since March 16 while 61 liquor smugglers have been caught in 48 cases lodged under the Excise Act since the poll code implementation. Besides, 10 criminals have been arrested in seven cases registered under the Arms Act so far.

The recovery from the arrested persons included 64.5 kg of poppy husk, 55.6 kg of ganja, 2.132 kg of heroin, 3.5 kg of opium, 55 gm of party drug, 13 gm of intoxicating powder, 6,843.4 litres of licit liquor, 3.75 litres of illicit liquor, 1,412.4 litres of beer, 82,279 litres of lahan and Rs 30,59,150 unaccounted cash.

Acting tough against the criminals, especially troublemakers and history-sheeters, the police have so far arrested 78 POs/ absconders and have deleted 567 such elements from the records following the legal process. Besides, 82 of the total 102 identified troublemakers and history- sheeters have so far been bound as per legal provisions while the hunt was on for the remaining 20 such troublemakers and history-sheeters.

Of the total 4,060 POs and absconders, including 3,134 wanted under the CrPC and 926 evading arrests under the CrPC, as many as 78 have so far been arrested while the names of 567 have been deleted from the records following the legal process. With the addition of 76 more such elements, the police were still on the lookout for 3,491 POs and absconders in Ludhiana.

However, all four non-bailable warrants (NBWs) issued since January 1 have been executed here.

Strict poll code enforcement: CP

“Besides routine checking drives, we have been maintaining a strict vigil through special nakas and search operations to ensure enforcement of the poll code and maintain the law and order situation in the run up to the poll. We have 666 polling locations across eight Assembly segments spread under eight police sub-divisions and 28 police stations, of which 164 have been identified as vulnerable, where special security arrangements will be put in place,” said Kuldeep Singh Chahal, CP.

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