‘Can search or arrest without warrant’: All you need to know about the new Uttar Pradesh special security force

The members of this force would be authorised to arrest any accused without the orders of a magistrate or a warrant.

Acting strictly on the policy of ‘zero tolerance’, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has expedited the task of constituting a Special Security Force (SSP), which will be granted the powers to search or arrest the accused without any warrant. Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Awanish Awasthi, said late Sunday: “The state government has given orders for the constitution of a special security force. A roadmap in this regard has been sought from the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP).”

The powers of the force will be governed by a set of rules made by the state government. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had on 26 June announced the formation of the force which is claimed to be a dream project of the chief minister. The decision to constitute this force came on the heels of the Allahabad High Court order last December.

Five battalions with 9919 Special Security Force personnel will be constituted in the first phase

Awasthi informed that the members of this force would be authorised to arrest any accused without the orders of a magistrate or a warrant. Initially, in the first phase, five battalions will be constituted and it would be headed by an additional director general (ADG)-ranked officer.

A total of 9,919 SSF personnel would be deployed within three months in the first phase, following which 1,913 more posts will be created. Expenses incurred in the first phase will be around Rs 1,747 crore, informed the Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Awanish Awasthi adding that it was “a dream project of the Uttar Pradesh chief minister”. The basis of this force is an order of the High Court, which had expressed that there should be a specialised force for civil courts, said Awasthi.

Headquartered in Lucknow, this special force will provide security to the high court, district courts, administrative offices and buildings, Metro rail, airports, banks, financial institutions, educational institutions and industrial units. According to reports, even the court will not be able to take cognizance against the force without the government’s approval.