CAPF deployment in Delhi raised to 26,000 ahead of CJP stir on Saturday

People aware of the matter said CRPF companies have been called mostly from Chhattisgarh.

Around 11,000 additional personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) are being deployed in the Capital for the next few days ahead of a massive protest call by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Saturday, officials familiar with the matter said, as protests seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar continued to escalate.

Heavy security deployed during India Bloc leaders protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Ashoka Road in New Delhi on Wednesday. (Arvind Yadav/HT PHOTO)

With the additional deployment, the total number of central force personnel in Delhi will rise to around 26,000 – among the highest such deployments in the city since the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.

According to records accessed by HT, the Union home ministry on Wednesday approved the deployment of 110 CAPF companies in Delhi from October 8 to 12. Each CAPF company has a sanctioned strength of 120-130 personnel, of whom around 75-80 are generally deployed. The additional forces will be alongside the 15,000 CAPF personnel already in the Capital in 111 companies.

“There are at least five specific all-women companies because a large section of the protesters are also women. The deployment will be extended depending on the situation in the city,” an official, who did not wish to be named, said.

People aware of the matter said CRPF companies have been called mostly from Chhattisgarh, where they were posted in former Naxal-affected areas, and parts of Jammu and Kashmir.

These forces, officials said, will bolster the around 5,000-strong Delhi Police force. The Delhi Police is also likely to increase deployment to around 15,000 personnel, officials said.

The security build-up comes as opposition parties and civil society groups have widened protests over the demand for Kumar’s resignation. The All India Students’ Association (AISA), Left parties and several civil society groups began their protests on October 2, while the Congress and parliamentarians from opposition parties have been demonstrating at different locations in the city over the past two days.

The CJP, following Friday’s protest in Mumbai, has called for a “Delhi Chalo” protest starting October 10.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police has also stepped up preventive measures. Station house officers (SHOs) have been directed to monitor people with criminal antecedents, track buses headed towards the New Delhi district and engage educational institutions and paying guest (PG) accommodation owners to discourage students from joining the demonstration, officials aware of the directions said.

According to police, protesters could potentially enter Delhi through three main routes, including the eastern and Shahdara borders with Uttar Pradesh and from the southwest, particularly the Rajasthan side. Officers have been asked to heighten surveillance along these routes, with barricades to be installed at entry points.

Police have also been instructed to ensure that no protester is allowed to sit or stage a demonstration anywhere in the New Delhi district, officials said. “The leaders are putting on social media that if protesters are stopped anywhere, they should just sit where they are stopped. We have to ensure that doesn’t happen,” another police officer said, requesting anonymity.

Senior police officers have specifically asked SHOs to keep track of around 2,800 people identified through the Facial Recognition System (FRS) as having criminal antecedents. “The idea is to know who is moving towards the protest site and from where,” a police officer said, requesting anonymity.

Police will also monitor bus operators and check bookings and destinations. “They have been asked to keep a watch on bus operators, including bookings being made and the destination. If there is organised movement of people towards New Delhi, the local police should be aware of it and stop it,” the officer said.

At least 2,873 people with alleged criminal antecedents were identified among protesters who staged demonstrations at Jantar Mantar in July. Of these, 989 were allegedly previously booked for heinous offences, including 101 booked for murder.

Unlike the July agitation, police have so far not granted permission for the October 10 protest, officials said. CJP spokesperson Saurav Das told reporters on Wednesday that the organisation had informed the police about the protest.

Police have also discussed setting up temporary detention facilities at stadiums across the city in case large numbers of protesters arrive, refuse to disperse and insist on courting arrest, according to officials.