Bhubaneswar: The Commissionerate Police has decided to book habitual offenders – having the potential to disrupt the upcoming polls process – under the stringent National Security Act (NSA), Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Bhubaneswar, Prateek Singh said, Wednesday.
Addressing a press conference to give details about the preparations of the City police ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, Singh said Inspector In Charge (IIC) of every Police Station under the Bhubaneswar Urban Police District (UPD) has been directed to prepare (and submit) lists of individuals having NonBailable Warrants (NBWs) issued against them. “They have also been asked to undertake stringent action against habitual offenders and individuals with criminal antecedents,” Singh said.
The DCP said the Commissionerate Police is reviewing a list of 2,400 individuals against whom NBWs are pending at present. Local police stations have been directed to arrest them under 110 CrPC as a preventive measure in the run-up to the elections. “In case of reasonable apprehension that some among these individuals might cause disruptions in the fair conduct of polls, we would book them under NSA,” Singh added. Singh said around 425 persons having licensed firearms will be asked to deposit their weapons at local police stations till the elections are over.
DEBADURLLAV HARICHANDAN, OP