Babri verdict: security beefed up

Babri verdict: security beefed up
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM/MARGAO, SEPT 28
All sensitive areas of Goa are covered under strict police security in wake of the verdict in the controversial Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhoomi title suit case on Thursday. Director General of Police (DGP) Bhim Sain Bassi informed that Goa police have heightened security around the entire State.
Sensitive towns like Ponda, Curchorem, Margao, Mapusa and Vasco, which comprises of mixed population with a history of communal fury are provided additional security force.
“These towns are provided additional force as they have the potential of triggering crisis. We have imposed Section 144 CrPC in both districts from September 23 onwards till further orders after the verdict,” Bassi told reporters on Tuesday morning.
North district is already under Section 144 CrPC owing to Valpoi by-poll elections. “Both district superintendents of police have been provided additional personnel from other divisions as well to control any untoward incident, if triggers,” he said.
“Besides, we have adopted all precautionary measures and appealed the communities not to fall prey to anti-social elements.”
More than 800 Home Guards and civil defense forces will be roped in to assist the mainstream force for maintaining security.
Chief Minister Digambar Kamat at a press briefing, last week, appealed to the public to maintain calm ahead verdict on Ayodhya dispute.
Allahabad High Court will pronounce its verdict on Thursday evening at 3:30 pm after Supreme Court rejected the plea for postponement of the verdict.
The South Goa police has asked for additional forces to deal with any untoward incident in the entire district.
District Police Chief Allan de Sa has asked for additional reinforcements from the Police Department. It is learnt that the Margao police sub-division has asked for two additional platoons of police person for deployment in the communally sensitive pockets of the Commercial capital and the sensitive Rumdamol Housing Board.
When contacted, Margao sub divisional police officer, DySP Umesh Gaonkar said the police officers from the sub division will meet on Wednesday to discuss the strategy for deployment of forces on Thursday. “The police will meet tomorrow to discuss and devise strategy to finalise bandobast deployment on Thursday”, he said.
Replying to a question, he said the district Magistrate has already promulgated Section 144 of the CrPC and the same will remain in effect till September 30.
Sources in the know said the police deployment would be carried out as a precautionary measure though the city nor the Rumdamol Housing Board has witnessed any communal flare up in the last two years.
The housing board has been free from any communal tensions in the last two years after the ugly incident, remarked a police official, adding that the police will not take any chances as a matter of abundant caution.