Drones help apprehend five involved in distribution of cash for votes in Puducherry

Teams involved in the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for the April 9 Assembly elections in Puducherry have apprehended five persons and seized from their possession around ₹66,000 during surveillance using drone technology for checking the misuse of money power in polls in the Union Territory (UT). 

Flying squad members deployed at the Mannadipet constituency apprehended three persons – Thirumaran, Silambarasan, and Chakravarthy – and seized from their possession ₹55,000. Another team deployed at Mangalam constituency took into custody P. Rajendran and P. Suresh and seized from their possession around ₹11,000. The accused persons and the seized amount have been handed over to the concerned police stations for further processing, Chief Electoral Officer P. Jawahar said in a release.

Mr. Jawahar said the department has begun using drone technology for real-time monitoring of campaigns by political parties and candidates in all 30 Assembly segments of the UT. The initiative was aimed to ensure strict enforcement of the elections rules, he said. 

The footage captured by the drones would be relayed to the Integrated Command Control Centre for alerting the flying squads deployed in various areas. The Election Department was ensuring strict vigil across all constituencies. Citizens are encouraged to report voter inducement activities to the authorities through the cVIGIL App or 1950 to ensure free, fair, and transparent elections, the CEO said. 

“The use of drone technology is an effective mechanism to prevent electoral malpractices in real time. The act of inducement of electors by the distribution of money constitutes bribery under Section 123(1) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and also attracts provisions under section 170 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Necessary legal action has been initiated in the seizures made at Mannadipet and Mangalam constituencies,“ Mr. Jawahar said.