After 8 years, police ‘spotters' deployed to recognise criminals in crowds
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Puri: After a gap of eight years, state police redeployed 'spotters' from different states during Rath Yatra to recognise security suspects, terrorists and notorious criminals in crowded places and alert the local authorities.
The spotters, who were last deployed in 2017, are specialised police officers who have expertise in monitoring and identifying criminals from their jurisdictions. They belong to various specialised security agencies who keep a tab on persons allegedly involved in anti-national activities and pass on the information to state police for necessary action.
"In an attempt to provide foolproof security to the lakhs of devotees and VVIPs during Rath Yatra, we sought the assistance of 'spotters' from different states for keeping an eye on persons linked to various criminal and terror groups, and foil their nefarious designs through pre-emptive police action.
We had written to all states to send spotters to recognise security suspects during the mega event," ADG (law and order) Sanjay Kumar told TOI.
Police officers said large-scale festivals like Rath Yatra, which draw global attention, also attract criminals from various regions.
Teams of 'spotters' in plainclothes patrolled the Jagannath Temple, Grand Road and beach, observing the crowds carefully. The undercover police personnel were tasked with identifying criminals from their jurisdictions among the gathering.
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While spotters arrived from other states, Odisha police also positioned their own personnel from various districts as a preventive measure against crime. "We mobilised trained police personnel from other districts to specifically keep tabs on the criminals of their areas," Kumar said.
Deployment of the spotters was part of a broader security strategy to ensure a safe and incident-free Rath Yatra, particularly given the recent Indo-Pakistan tensions following the Pahalgam terror strike.
For the first time, NSG snipers took positions on rooftops at strategic locations around the temple and Grand Road.
Besides, an anti-terrorist squad and armoured vehicle were stationed in Puri to effectively handle any untoward incident. Over 10,000 police personnel, including 203 platoons of police forces and five companies of Central Armed Police Forces were positioned for smooth conduct of Rath Yatra.
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