Ayodhya verdict: Security stepped up in Uttar Pradesh

With barely a day left for the verdict on the Ayodhya title suits to be pronounced by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court, an alert has been sounded across the Uttar Pradesh.

"An alert has been sounded across the state and chief minister Mayawati has directed the administrative and police officers in all districts to remain vigilant," a senior official said here today.

As a preventive measure aerial survey, including at night, of sensitive places, including Ram Janmbhoomi complex in Ayodhya has been done, he said.

Security has been stepped up further at important installations across the state, including the high courts.

Additional companies of CRPF have been deployed in and around the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court.

The security at both Allahabad and Lucknow bench of the high court has been stepped up keeping in view of the judgement tomorrow, sources said.

For security of Lucknow bench of the high court, a superintendent of police, six Additional SP, 22 deputy SP, 144 sub inspectors, 104 head constables, 807 constables and two companies of PAC (about 200 personnel) had been deployed.

This would be in addition to central forces like CRPF and RAF, they said.

Similarly, for Allahabad HC, two ASPs, 16 DSPs, six inspectors, 30 Sub inspectors, 200 constables, four companies of PAC had been deployed.

On the administrative front, six additional district magistrates and 20 sub-divisional magistrates have been posted in Lucknow, while an ADM and 15 SDMs have been posted in Allahabad to keep an eye on the situation.

Security of the three high court judges had already been beefed up in view of the verdict.

One platoon of PAC (about 20 personnel), five CRPF personnel have been deployed at residence of all the three judges, besides an escort and pilot car and one PSO each have also been provided to them," a senior officer said.

A deputy SP rank officer has been made incharge of the judges security, he added.

Borders with adjoining Nepal and Uttarakhand have been sealed and a strict vigil was being maintained on all those coming to the state from these sides.

The security forces had already staged flag marches in all the sensitive places and districts, including Ayodhya, Varanasi and Mathura, in the state and prohibitory orders had been issued, sources said.

As a preventive measure, all liquor and firecrackers shops would remain closed tomorrow, sources said.

As many as 52 companies of the CPMF, 150 companies of the PAC, over 80,000 homeguards and 20,000 prantiya rakshak dal personnel alongwith nearly 80,000 civil police had been deployed for security, sources said.

The government has already identified 25 districts of the state as sensitive and 19 others as hyper-sensitive.

These districts include Agra, Allahabad, Aligarh, Azamgarh, Bareilly, Bahraich, Bulandshahr, Gonda, Gorakhpur, Kanpur city, Meerut, Moradabad, Mau, Varanasi, Faizabad, Mathura, Bijnore, Muzaffarnagar and Lucknow.