RK Nagar bypoll: Unprecedented police deployment

Chennai: After failing to curb cash for votes in RK Nagar by-poll, the poll officials are now working towards a violent free election on Thursday. For every 65 voters, a uniformed person is deployed and every dingy road in RK Nagar now has a policeman to monitor the law and order with the paramilitary force assistance, said a highly placed public election department official.

The total population of uniformed service personnel is around 4,250 including 950 members from the Central Reserve Police Force and Central Industrial Security Force and the Chennai city police through the armed reserve and its resource has brought in 3300 personnel to guard RK Nagar, official sources said adding for Chennai the police, public ratio is 1: 450 and for RK Nagar an unprecedented strength has been deployed which includes close to 400 inspectors and sub-inspectors.

According to city police sources, close to 20 per cent of entire city police strength is diverted to RK Nagar and entire top brass comprising IPS officers are focused on the poll-bound north Chennai.

From Monday, more than 3,000 state police personnel are manning RK Nagar and this will continue till Thursday night and all the police stations in RK Nagar are under the supervision of deputy commissioners, said Chennai city police additional commissioner H.M. Jayaram, when contacted about security arrangements. "To prevent any untoward incidents, the number of patrol teams through four-wheelers and two-wheelers have been increased. CRPF personnel will be part of the surveillance team and the poll observers will move with an escort team for the next two days", the officer said. "We have taken adequate steps for the public to feel free and vote in RK Nagar", he added. Meanwhile, sources said that so far 124 FIRs have been booked for poll violations and 122 preventive arrests made till now.