Delhi polls: 863 cases of violation of Model Code of Conduct registered

Authorities have recorded more than 860 cases of alleged violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections scheduled for February 5, an official stated on Thursday.

These cases were reported between January 7, when the MCC came into effect, and January 29. During this period, a total of 27,551 individuals were arrested under various legal provisions, including the Excise Act, according to an official statement.

In preparation for the elections, police have heightened security at border checkpoints and launched crackdowns on illegal activities such as arms, liquor, and drug smuggling. Delhi Police registered 863 MCC violation cases, confiscated 415 illegal firearms and 473 cartridges, and arrested 426 individuals under the Arms Act, the statement revealed.

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Additionally, authorities seized 96,957 litres of liquor, leading to the arrest of 1,147 individuals. They also confiscated 165.876 kg of drugs valued at over Rs 72.8 crore, along with more than 1,200 banned injections, resulting in 156 arrests.

Law enforcement agencies further recovered Rs 9.67 crore in cash and 37.39 kg of silver, the statement added.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Election Cell, Ram Dulesh Meena, said that the crackdowns during the elections have been especially successful. “The more the recoveries the better. At present, we have had a good record of seizures when it comes to the MCC violations,” Meena highlighted.

He added that the deployment amount is also at par with the guidelines of the Election Commission. “All of the Police branches have been put to task for the elections. There is no lapse in the number of deployed police personnel presently,” he said.

The election for the 70-member Delhi Assembly will take place on February 5, with the counting of votes scheduled for February 8.