With the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections set for April 23, security measures have been escalated by the Election Commission and state police across all 234 constituencies to ensure a peaceful voting process. The Tamil Nadu Police have identified and are closely monitoring nearly 20,000 history-sheeters and habitual offenders, known as “rowdies”, categorized into different groups based on their criminal records and perceived threat levels.
Chennai alone accounts for about 4,000 such individuals, some of whom are currently missing, raising concerns that they may return to their local areas during the election period to disrupt polling or influence voters. To address this, police teams have launched intelligence-gathering and search operations, resulting in the detention of around 100 individuals. Special teams are actively tracking down absconding offenders across all 38 districts to maintain strict surveillance.
Apart from enforcement actions, the police are considering rehabilitation for those willing to reform, potentially issuing “good conduct certificates” under specific conditions. Legal measures under Sections 107, 109, and 110 of the Code of Criminal Procedure are being planned to prevent disturbances to public peace during the elections. A senior police officer highlighted Tamil Nadu’s history of peaceful Assembly elections and assured that necessary precautions are being taken to uphold this record.
Emphasizing prevention, vigilance, and prompt responses, authorities are confident in the effectiveness of the multi-layered security arrangements for the upcoming elections, ensuring the safety of voters and the democratic process.
