Hyderabad: Cops tighten watch on hotspots ahead of polls

Hyderabad: Ahead of the 2018 Assembly election in Telangana, city police and election officials have started marking out sensitive areas. Factors such as criminal activities in the past, abnormal voting for particular candidates in the respective polling stations, past record of malpractices at the booth-level are taken into account to mark areas as sensitive.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar said the illegal cash seized this year already amounts to Rs 8.8 crore, whereas in the last election, a total of Rs 12 lakh was seized. 

“We are expecting around roughly 40 lakh voters. In Hyderabad, there are about 4,000 polling stations out of which 1,200 are critical. We have around 1,500 polling locations here, clustered with two to four points at one location,” he said.

“The public have deposited about 3,000 weapons with the police and we have given exemptions to bank security guards, members of National Rifle Association and other people. We have bound over 1,800 rowdy-sheeters (people with criminal records), criminals, and others to good behaviour,” he noted

“Also, we have organised 47 training sessions for constables, inspectors and sub-inspectors,” Mr Kumar said.

The police are equipped with ultra high frequency wireless sets. About 1,097 sets have been distributed so each area will be under wireless communication.

“I have visited all the 15 counting centres in the 13 places in the city. Each has been given three layers of security,” said the Commissioner.

The Hyderabad police also conducted a flag march in sensitive areas of the city last week. 

The flag march, which started from the historical  Charminar proceeded towards Bhavani Nagar, Aitebar Chowk, Mir Chowk and Darul Shifa. Some 750 security personnel, including Central forces such as CRPF, Rapid Action Force (RAF), and CARF. 

The special armed forces of the state police, mounted police and law and order police also took part in the flag march.