Special security force which can 'search, arrest without any warrant' to be set up by UP govt

The Yogi Adityanath-led UP government issued a notification on Sunday for the formation of a special security force on the lines of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which can 'search, arrest without any warrant.'

The Yogi Adityanath-led UP government issued a notification on Sunday for the formation of a special security force constituted on the basis of an Allahabad HC, which can 'search or arrest a suspect without any warrant.'

The force is being constituted on the lines of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and will be deployed at places like metro rail, airports, industrial institutions, courts, religious places, banks and other financial institutions.

The Uttar Pradesh Special Security Force or UPSSF will be responsible for the security of important government buildings, offices and industrial establishments in the state.

Also read

Major tragedy averted as security forces recover IED in north Kashmir

Private companies will also be able to take the services of UPSSF on payment.

The UP government Twitter handle quoted Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi as saying that "This is a dream project of the UP chief minister. The basis of this force is an order of the High Court, which had ordered that there should be a specialised force for civil courts. In all, there will be 9,919 personnel in the force."

Awasthi said five battalions will be constituted in the first phase and it will be headed by an ADG-ranked officer.

"Expenses incurred in the first phase will be around Rs 1,747 crore," Awasthi said.

"Any member of the force can, without the prior permission of any magistrate and without any warrant, arrest any person," one of the tweets read, adding that "separate rules for this section would be framed".

The headquarters of the UPSSF will be in Lucknow and an ADG-level officer will head the force. Initially, five battalions of UPSSF will be formed.

The proposal for the constitution of a special force came on the directions of the Allahabad High Court after incidents of violence were reported in the premises of courts in December last year.

Three assailants had on December 17, 2019 opened fire in the court of the Bijnor chief judicial magistrate, killing a murder accused and injuring two policemen and a court employee.

A two-judge HC bench had said most incompetent police personnel are being posted at the courts, adding that it will seek the deployment of central forces if the state government is not up to the task.

(With agency inputs)