Vigilance ramped up in Visakhapatnam as elections near

Visakhapatnam Police Commissioner collects 728 licensed weapons, keeps strict vigil on rowdy sheeters for peaceful elections.

Commissioner of Police A. Ravi Shankar said that 728 licensed weapons were collected from licensed weapon holders in the city, as the election code mandates ensuring law and order for the peaceful conduct of the elections. He also said that a strict vigil is kept on the movement of rowdy sheeters in view of the polls.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, Mr. Ravi Shankar said that in view of the elections and on the instructions of the Director General of Police, a constant vigil is kept on the rowdy sheeters. He said that there may be cases of rowdy sheeters threatening or influencing voters.

In view of this, patrolling teams and night-beat police tracked their movements and activities from time to time, and counselling sessions were organised every week at various police stations.

He also said that 63 Model Code of Conduct (MCC) teams have been conducting checks in the city. The MCC teams are headed by a Mandal Parishad Development Officer (MPDO) and assisted by a videographer and a policeman. The CP also said that five Static Surveillance teams are also working at various places in the city.

According to him, there are about 2,092 rowdy sheeters, DCs, KDs and suspect sheet holders in the city. As per a recent update, 175 of them were found to be out of view (whereabouts unknown and not residing in the address provided). He said the police had started a search operation, and almost 50 % of them were traced.

He also reiterated that political party leaders should use the Suvidha app to obtain permissions for rallies, programmes, or even door-to-door campaigns. The police will verify the application and only give a No-Objection Certificate (NOC), but it is the Returning Officer who gives final permission, he said.