PANAJI: North Goa police has identified around 1,286 persons, who could possibly create a law and order situation and threaten or intimidate voters during the state assembly election, which is scheduled to be held on February 4.
In this regard, police stations in the North Goa district have sent reports to the concerned deputy collectors under sections of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) for executing bond of good behaviour.
“Under various sections of the CrPC, reports against all the habitual offenders, history sheeters and persons with bad characters have been sent to the deputy collectors in North Goa for executing bond of good behaviour,” said North Goa Superintendent of Police Karthik Kashyap at a joint press briefing on election preparedness along with North Goa Collector Nila Mohanan.
According to Kashyap, under CrPC Section 107, (security for keeping peace in other cases), reports have been sent against 1,165 persons, while under CrPC Section 109 (security for good behaviour from suspected persons), reports have been sent against 41 persons and under CrPC Section 110 (security for good behaviour from habitual offenders), reports have been sent against 80 persons.
Replying to a question on monitoring of interstate boundaries, Mohanan said, “The surveillance teams are in place and we have focused on these interstate boundaries. I am sure that from the police side, they are maintaining high vigil in the areas.”
Kashyap said, “We have integrated the check posts of all the border points. In the North (district), we have five check points. Totally, ten static surveillance teams are in place of which five are at the border points and the other are at sensitive points in the district to look into any violation or inflow of materials.”
Mohanan said that as per the orders issued to the arms licence holders for deposit of arms, 2,103 arms have been deposited with the police stations in North Goa so far. Around 392 arms are yet to be deposited. In this connection, police will prepare a report, which will be sent to the office of the Collector. “We will have a committee, which will examine and necessary action will be taken (for not depositing arms). There are some exempted categories and they will be allowed to retain arms,” said Mohanan.
She said, “In order to monitor the strict enforcement of model code of conduct as well as to inquire into any type of complaint pertaining to campaign or electioneering, we have flying squads in all assembly constituencies. We also have static surveillance teams at locations to monitor such activities.”
There are 794 polling stations spread across 19 assembly constituencies in North Goa.
Mohanan said that the nomination forms will be accepted by the respective returning officers between 11 am and 3 pm from January 11 onwards till January 18. However, January 14 (second Saturday) and January 15 (Sunday) being holidays, nomination forms will not be accepted on these two days.
Mohanan also said that banners and posters, which were put up in places where they are not meant to be, have been removed by the flying squads. Around 1,489 banners and 721 posters have been removed in North Goa, she said.