26,000 security personnel to be deployed in Mum for BMC polls

Mumbai, Feb 14: About 26,000 security personnel would be deployed in the city on Thursday when polls to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) would be held, police said.

"Around 24,000 policemen from the city, including 2,375 officers and 20,982 constables, would guard the polling booths. Besides there would be around 2,000 personnel from the home guards, Rapid Action Force (RAF) and the State Reserve Police Force(SRPF) manning the city," City Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik told reporters here.

All the four Joint Commissioners of Police would be personally present on ground to supervise patrolling duty, he said. Two Deputy Commissioners of Police Manohar Dalvi and Nisar Tamobli would handle the control room, he added.

Patnaik said police has so far registered 73 FIRs and 148 non-cognisable cases related to BMC elections. Mumbai police have taken preventive action against 1,773 anti-social elements, that included externment of 83 criminals, he said. The officer said that police has asked over 300 licensed arms holders to deposit their fire arms with the police till the elections.

PTI