1.40 lakh security staff deployed to ensure incident-free voting

Around 1.40 lakh security personnel have been deployed across the state to ensure free and fair voting during the Assembly elections on Saturday.

Staff from the Lokayukta police, Prisons department, Anti-Corruption Bureau, Criminal Investigation Department and civil police from interstate police departments will be on poll duty.

Director General and Inspector General of Police Neelmani N Raju told reporters on Friday that in all 1.40 lakh security personnel have been deployed. They include 43,653 policemen, 22,172 home guards, 2,000 of civil defence personnel and 434 forest guards and forest watchers. Besides, as many as 7,650 policemen and home guards from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Kerala and Goa will be on duty.

Neelmani said 585 contingents of central forces have also come for the election duty in four stages and have been deployed in various parts of the state.

As many as 117 cases of violence were reported during poll campaign and due to political rivalry. Vinay (25), a Congress worker, was killed and 80 people were injured in the clashes.

The police have booked 1,229 cases for violation of Model Code of Conduct until Friday and the Excise department has booked 2,122 cases against the liquor outlets. The police have seized Rs 55.08 crore cash and Rs 111.37 crore worth of property including gold, vehicles and others items.

Soon after the elections were announced, the police department directed people to surrender their firearms. Accordingly, out of 97,043 firearm licensees in the state 95,405 have deposited their firearms. As many as 151 were impounded and 19 were cancelled. The police have seized 22 arms and 30 cartridges.

ADGP (Law & Order) Kamal Pant said that the police have identified 12,000 booths as sensitive in Mangaluru, Shivamogga, Davangere, Mandya, Mysuru, Bengaluru, Bengaluru Rural (Anekal & Hoskote), Hubballi-Dharwad and other places and deployed Riot Anti-Force (RAF) teams in these areas.