Rising a step above the Uttar Pradesh government’s claim of being adequately prepared for the counting of votes on March 10, the Kanpur Police has issued an order to shoot at sight those who are found disturbing the counting process.
Kanpur Dehat District Magistrate Jitendra Pratap Singh addressed the media on Tuesday over the preparations for the counting of votes. Superintendent of Police Swapnil Mamgai, who was also present at the press conference, said that orders of shoot at sight will be issues against those who are found spreading rumours and those who try to disturb the process at the counting centres.
The bizarre order comes despite the state police’s claim that less incidents of violence (33) during the seven-phased voting were reported as compared to 2017 (97).
According to the data of the police department, after the code of conduct came into force on January 9, 1339 FIRs were registered across the state, the maximum number of 261 FIRs were registered in Lucknow zone. Along with this, maximum cash has been seized from Kanpur itself.
The counting of votes will begin at 8 am and the initial trends are expected to trickle down in the first hour itself. The ballot paper votes will be counted first, followed by EVM votes.
Elucidating on the security arrangement, Mamgai said that a three-tier security cover was being set up to ensure fair process of counting. Around 1500 policemen, two companies of CISF, two companies of CRPF and one of PAC have been deployed around the district.