Delhi Police has divided the New Delhi district into 20 security zones, each to be supervised by senior officers, as part of extensive arrangements ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) proposed protest at Jantar Mantar on Saturday demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, officials said on Friday.
According to officials, each of the 20 zones will be monitored by a joint commissioner, a deputy commissioner and an additional deputy commissioner of police to ensure close supervision of security arrangements and a coordinated response to any law-and-order situation.
Special commissioners heading different units of Delhi Police will also closely monitor the zones and coordinate with senior officers whenever necessary, a police source said.
Additional surveillance measures
As part of the security preparations, additional CCTV cameras have been installed at important locations across the New Delhi, Central Delhi and North Delhi districts to strengthen surveillance and monitor movement around sensitive areas.
The arrangements were reviewed during a meeting of senior Delhi Police officers at the police headquarters on Friday, where officials assessed security preparedness and discussed measures to ensure effective coordination among different police units.
The meeting focused on maintaining law and order, strengthening communication between field officers and senior officials, and ensuring that personnel deployed across the capital could respond promptly to emerging situations.
A police source said further review meetings had been scheduled for 4 am, 6 am and 7 am on Saturday to assess developments and make necessary adjustments to the security arrangements.
Permission denied for protest
Delhi Police has already denied permission for the proposed demonstration at Jantar Mantar, citing the late submission of the organisers' application and alleged violations of prescribed conditions during an earlier CJP protest.
A senior police officer said organisers were required to submit an intimation at least 10 days before a proposed demonstration under the prescribed procedure.
The police maintained that the CJP had failed to comply with this requirement, while its previous conduct had also been considered in deciding against granting permission for Saturday's gathering.
Despite the denial, the protest call has prompted heightened security preparations across the capital, with authorities reviewing deployment and surveillance arrangements to prevent any breach of law and order.
The demonstration has been called to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations concerning the SIR exercise, which has become a major point of contention between Opposition groups and the Election Commission.
With additional security personnel deployed and senior officers assigned direct supervisory responsibilities, Delhi Police is expected to maintain close monitoring of the situation throughout Saturday, particularly around Jantar Mantar and adjoining areas.