New Delhi: The Delhi Police has increased security deployment outside the residence of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi after receiving fresh threat inputs, officials said on Wednesday. Kumar already receives Z-plus security cover. In view of the latest intelligence inputs and continuing protests in the national capital, additional police personnel have been stationed outside his residence, a senior police officer confirmed.
Local district police units have also been directed to step up the number of personnel on duty. Security agencies have been instructed to maintain close coordination to prevent any untoward incident, the officer added. Z-plus remains the second-highest security category in the country after the Special Protection Group cover provided to the Prime Minister and immediate family members.
Under Z-plus arrangements, around 50 personnel operate in shifts with enhanced protection for the protectee’s residence and cavalcade. The strengthened security measures coincide with protests by INDIA bloc leaders. The protests, led by Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, centre on alleged irregularities in the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The Opposition has demanded Kumar’s resignation.
In one of the largest deployments of central forces for law-and-order duties during a protest in the national capital, the Ministry of Home Affairs has made 221 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces available to the Delhi Police. The force strength works out to approximately 23,000 personnel and will remain available from October 8 to 12.
CRPF companies are being drawn from Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh for the deployment. The additional forces will assist Delhi Police in managing the protests, securing key government buildings and maintaining law and order in central Delhi. Officials indicated that the enhanced arrangements around the CEC’s residence form part of the broader security grid put in place for the duration of the protests.
