The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Union Home Ministry to provide additional two companies of any Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) “as expeditiously as possible” to Tripura to ensure that voting for local body polls in the state, which began earlier in the day, remain free and fair.
The bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud, Surya Kant and Vikram Nath asked Tripura's Director General of Police (DGP) and Home Secretary to “immediately review if there is any additional requirement of further deployment, over and above the above direction and if so, communicate it to the Department of Home Affairs of the Government of India for necessary action”.
“Any such request having due regard of the statement made by the Solicitor General shall be duly considered,” the bench directed.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had assured the court that should a requisition be made for additional paramilitary forces, the Union Home Ministry will respond immediately in a favourable manner.
The court directed the State Election Commission (SEC), the DGP and Home Secretary “to ensure that every polling booth is manned by a sufficient strength of CAPF personnel, bearing in mind sensitivity of the polling station and the need for a requisite number of personnel to guard the polling booths to ensure free and fair elections. The polling officer at each polling booth shall take the help of CAPF personnel, in the event that any exigency arises.”
The court ordered, “Necessary…
