Jharkhand DGP holds meeting with police officers of five states to ensure free, fair Lok Sabha polls

Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], March 18 (ANI): Jharkhand DGP Ajay Kumar Singh chaired an inter-state virtual co-ordination meeting with senior police officers from neighboring states to ensure fair elections.
The meeting was attended by senior police officers from neighboring states of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal.
In the meeting talks were held on mutual cooperation, Intelligence sharing and road maps for smooth elections.
Further, emphasis was placed on activating the checkposts along the borders to curb influx of illegal weapons, arms, ammunition, liquor, and narcotics.
DGP Ajay Kumar Singh said, "Today, a meeting was conducted under the direction of the Election Commission of India. We discussed the points that may affect the upcoming Lok Sabha elections with five bordering states - Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal and we made the roadmap and future plans which includes Intelligence sharing, discussion about LWS scenario in these state, activation of border check post to stop the movement of criminals, illegal arms and ammunition, illegal liquor trade, sharing of data regarding criminals and absconders."
"We also talked for mutual cooperation and what comes ahead. We have a central control room, nodal officers and whatever is needed for a free and fair election is in its place," he added.
Meanwhile, Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday issued orders for the removal of West Bengal's Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner Iqbal Chahal along with some other senior officials from various states.
The ECI has also ordered the removal of certain key officials of six states in what it termed a decisive move towards upholding the principles of free, fair and transparent elections.
Home Secretaries in six states-namely Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have been asked to step down. Additionally, the secretaries of the General Administrative Department in Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh have been removed.
The elections for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held from April 19 to June 1, with the counting of votes scheduled for June 4. (ANI)