In a bid to conduct smooth and peaceful elections, Jalandhar Police Commissionerate is running a major drive to apprehend maximum proclaimed offenders (POs). As a part of the same, more than 650 POs have either been apprehended or their names have been omitted from the list, since the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct in the State.
The Commissionerate has launched the crackdown, in the backdrop of the February 20 elections, against the persons who are likely to disturb the election process. “Police Commissionerate, Jalandhar, has apprehended and omitted a record-breaking 660 POs since Model Code of Conduct came into operation. Of these, 200 have been arrested and others have either been deleted or omitted,” said Jalandhar Commissionerate’s ADCP-1 Suhail Mir, adding that the challenging task is being accomplished with the coordination and collective effort by the Commissionerate’s various units — Police Stations, CIA, Economic Offences Wing, and PO staff — on the directions of Jalandhar Police Commissioner Naunihal Singh.
For the same, the Commissionerate has followed a “target-based approach”, wherein the Unit In-charges were briefed “to get hold of low-lying fruit first”, said
Mir.
“Under this, Doaba was made the target area, so that there is a focused target. Also, each halqa ACP was provided with due resources, like vehicles and fuel, to apprehend maximum POs. Teams were made at various unit levels and they started physically verifying each PO,” added Mir.
Mir said that the most important and crucial part of the ongoing PO drive has been everyday review sessions by the Police Commissioner, which had put a heavy onus on Unit In-charges to perform to their best.
Besides POs, Jalandhar Police Commissionerate has also taken preventive action against 280 odd persons, including trouble makers and bootleggers, for smooth conduct of elections. “The vulnerable polling locations, which consist of 30 percent of the total polling locations, are daily frequented by teams of CAPF and district police to instill confidence in voters,” added Mir.