Khanna police crack whip on election code violators

Tribune News Service

Nitin Jain

Khanna (Ludhiana), April 5

The Khanna police have cracked the whip against violators of the model code of conduct (MCC), which had been in force since the announcement of the 2024 General Election on March 16, across three Assembly segments falling under the Fatehgarh Sahib Lok Sabha constituency.

The police have arrested 149 criminals under various offences punishable under relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, Excise Act and the Arms Act, from whom a huge cache of drugs, illicit liquor, drug money and weapons have been seized.

Besides identifying 48 troublemakers, the police have so far taken 158 history-sheeters and other anti-social elements under preventive custody. Also, 114 proclaimed offenders (POs) and absconders have been arrested while 553 of the total 564 non-bailable warrants (NBWs) have been executed in the police district, which is part of Ludhiana administrative district.

However, almost 38 per cent of the total 6,445 arms licence owners have not yet deposited with the police their 2,894 licensed weapons, which was mandatory as per the prohibitory order issued by District Magistrate (DM) Sakshi Sawhney till March 31.

Leading the special drive launched by the district police against the poll code violations, Khanna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Amneet Kondal has directed the police force to ensure strict implementation of the MCC and allow no violation of the guidelines issued by the Election Commission for the conduct of free, fair and peaceful General Election.

Sharing the action-taken report, Amneet told The Tribune here on Friday that 10 inter-district nakas (check-posts) had been set up across the limits of three police sub-divisions and eight police stations falling under the Khanna police district to maintain strict vigil on the movement of anti-social elements and check any illegal activity that might affect the smooth conduct of the elections. Two of the 10 special nakas have been made hi-tech and put under the round-the-clock CCTV supervision.

She said regular coordination meetings at the district, sub-division and police station levels were being held with counterparts and a special control and a separate WhatsApp number had been activated to receive, share and transmit the real-time information.

“As of now, two platoons of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) have been received by us, which are being used as part of the flying squad teams (FSTs) as well as other condition-based maintenance (CBM) purposes,” the SSP revealed while informing that of the total 383 polling station locations across Khanna police district, eight have been identified as vulnerable and five critical.

Amneet said 149 criminals had so far been arrested in 100 FIRs registered under the NDPS Act, Excise Act and Arms Act, from whom huge cache of drugs, illicit liquor, weapons and drug money had been recovered.

The recovery included 670 litres of illicit liquor, 7.39 quintals of poppy husk, 321 gm of heroin, 9.2 kg of opium, 1.5 kg of ganja, 15 gm of smack, 43 gm of drug powder, 45 gm of charas, 12 kg of poppy plants, 46,280 intoxicant pills and capsules, 20 bottles of intoxicant syrups, Rs 25 lakh unaccounted cash, Rs 40,000 drug money, 24 .32 bore pistols, 29 magazines and 19 cartridges.

“In a major operation, we had intercepted Rs 25 lakh unaccounted cash at a hi-tech naka on March 30 and the case had been handed over to the Income Tax Department for further proceedings in the matter,” she said.

The district police chief further stated that 48 troublemakers have been identified so far while preventive action had been taken against 38 of the total 46 historysheeters as the remaining eight historysheeters were already behind bars.

Under other preventive action, as many as 120 anti-social elements have been taken into preventive custody under Sections 107, 150, 151, 109, and 110 of the CrPC while 553 of the total 564 NBWs received since January 1 had already been executed while the process was on to execute the remaining 11 NBWs as well.

The action against POs and absconders has led to the arrests of 114 wanted criminals while 479 such elements were still on the run. However, the entries of 53 POs and absconders have been deleted from police records following the due legal process.

Divulging the details of arms licences, the SSP revealed that as many as 6,445 arms licence holders possessed 7,668 licensed weapons in the district, of which 4,774 arms, accounting for 62 per cent, had already been deposited with the police while the remaining 2,894 licensed weapons were yet to be deposited as per the mandate given in the MCC and prohibitory order issued by the DM.

She has urged all arms license owners, who have not yet deposited their licensed weapons, to hand over their licensed arms to the nearest police post or station without any further delay, failing which legal action will be initiated.

“A special screening committee to scrutinise the licensed arms licences and gun houses has been formed and is fully functional,” Amneet said, adding that there was no gun house located in the jurisdiction of Khanna police district.

Strict vigil maintained: SSP Kondal

“We are maintaining strict vigil and ensuring the enforcement of the poll code across the district in letter and in spirit. Besides continuing with our routine exercises, we have set up special nakas to conduct search and seizure operations and are taking out flag marches to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections,”said Amneet Kondal, SSP, Khanna.

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