Over 91pc licensed arms deposited ahead of Punjab Assembly elections

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], January 20 : Complying to the directions of the Election Commission of India (ECI), as many as 3,54,075 licensed weapons have been deposited in the state ahead of Punjab Assembly Elections, scheduled to be held on February 20, 2022, said Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Punjab Dr S Karuna Raju in Chandigarh on Wednesday.
In a press release, he said that this is 91.10 per cent of the total 3,90,275 licensed weapons in the state. Whereas 27 without licenses weapons were seized in the state, he added. He said that some of the persons having licenced weapons including security personnel at nationalised/private banks and other persons facing security issues will have to approach the Deputy Commissioner for any genuine exemptions and complaint redressal.
Dr Raju also informed that after the Model Code of Conduct came into force in the state for Punjab Vidhan Sabha elections, various enforcement teams have seized valuables worth Rs 46.66 crores in violation of the code till January 18, 2022.
Giving details, he said that the surveillance teams have seized 6.60 lakh litres of liquor worth Rs 2 crore. Similarly, the enforcement wings have also recovered psychotropic substances amounting to Rs 44.49 crore besides confiscating unaccounted cash of Rs 16 lakh, he added.
The Chief Electoral Officer revealed that as many as 1,088 vulnerable hamlets have been identified. Besides this, 2,376 persons have been identified as probable sources of trouble, he said adding that out of these persons preventive action had already been initiated against 1,129 persons while the remaining would also be brought to book. He also informed that from a security point of view 725 persons have been bound down under preventive sections of CrPC Act.
He informed that as many as 2221 cases of non-bailable warrants have been executed, while execution in 191 cases is under process. As many as 6,339 nakas are operational across the State, he added.