Nellore: Police department has launched several initiatives to prevent any untoward incident taking place during the ensuing elections to the assembly and parliament.
As part of the measures, police department has taken over the possession of 550 licensed weapons from private individuals in the recent past. According to statistics, there are 650 licenced weapons with private persons across the district. Moves are on to take over the remaing arms that would be returned after the elections.
Speaking to this newspaper, Nellore SP Ishwarya Rastogi said their department has executed 700 pending non-bailable warrants. Bind-over cases have been booked against rowdy and anti-social elements besides trouble mongers across the district. They will be produced before the executive magistrates and released after collecting bonds for amounts determined by the magistrates. There will be an undertaking taken that they will not indulge in any criminal activities during elections.
In order to facilitate sharing of information, meetings have been held with Tamil Nadu officials of intelligence while check posts have been set up on the border near Tada in Nellore district to contain flow of cash and liquor, especially arrack.
Referring to the recent tragic deaths after consuming illicit arrack at Visakapatnam and Odisha, Mr Ishwarya Rastogi said they will file cases against those distributing arrack.
Pointing to the ongoing vehicular checks across the district, he said the exercise will be intensified once the model code of conduct comes into force.
As many as 13 check posts are being established in the district borders with Kadapa, Prakasam, Chittoor apart from Tamil Nadu to keep a tab on movement of cash and liquor with teams consisting of police, revenue and other related departments.
The SP made it clear that they would confiscate cash and hand it over to income tax wing if those carrying the money fail to produce documents to justify the movement.
Special squads and flying squads and surveillance teams are being formed for effective monitoring of illegal flow of cash through standard operating system.
Mr Rastogi said police officials at the field level were visiting the villages in their jurisdiction over the last three months to familiarise with community as well as the geography and terrain.
