The security in the State has been tightened in view of Diwali festival and following issuance of warning by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to the States of possible terrorist attacks during the festival. Police visibility has been increased with the deployment of additional police forces in the busy market areas while police forces were witnessed conducting vehicle checking drives at many places to ensure peace during the festival.
State Director General of Police BS Sidhu said that security in the State has been tightened with the deployment of additional forces at the market areas, Railway stations, religious sites and other important places. The district police heads have been directed to intensify patrolling during night. This apart, additional forces from intelligence personnel, Provincial Armed Constabulary personnel, civil police, dog squads and bomb disposal squads have been deployed in the market areas, Railway stations and other important public places. During the festival, complaints of gambling were reported and police officers have been directed to take necessary steps to stop such things under their jurisdictional areas, he added.
Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Rautela said that three companies of PAC along with district police, dog squads and bomb disposal squads, intelligence staff, mounted police personnel and other policemen have been deployed at busy roads, Railway Stations, bus stands, and other important places in the city to avoid untoward incident. He has directed the police station in-charges to intensify patrolling at Railway stations, platforms, railway tracks, bus stands, dharamshalas, dhabas and other places. Stringent actions should be taken against the law violators, he warned.
Nainital SSP Vimmi Sachdeva said that all the police station in- charges have been directed to intensify patrolling under their jurisdictional areas for peaceful completion of the festival. This apart, additional police forces are being deployed at important places like market areas in the district.
The police officers have also been instructed to conduct inspection of the shops, selling firecrackers and explosives and action should be taken against those who are found flouting the rules, she added. Haridwar Police officer said that the police officers have been directed to deploy additional plain clothes police forces at jewelry shops, crowed places and busy market areas so that the miscreants can be apprehended promptly. Additional forces have been deployed at temples and other religious sites and mixed population areas to prevent untoward incidents in the district.
Pauri SP Ajay Joshi said that the police officers have been directed to intensify patrolling under their jurisdictional areas for peaceful completion of the festival. The shopkeepers who are not having licenses for selling firecrackers should not be allowed to do trades in the demarcated areas of the district, he added.