UP's New Special Security Force Can "Search, Arrest Without Warrant"

Monday, 14 September 2020Newsdesk

A special force will be set up in Uttar Pradesh, with powers similar to the CISF (Central Industrial Security Force), that can search and arrest without a warrant, the state government said on Sunday. As per news report of NDTV, The Uttar Pradesh Special Security Force or UPSSF will be tasked to protect courts, airports, administrative buildings, metros, banks, among other government offices.

New Delhi, 14 September 2020

In a series of late-night posts, the UP government Twitter handle quoted Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi as saying that "eight battalions of the UPSSF will be constituted initially at a cost of Rs. 1,747.06 crore". The initial infrastructure for the force would come from the PAC (Provincial Armed Constabulary), a special unit of the UP Police. The UPSSF "will be a dream project" for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Mr Awasthi pointed out.

"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 government's latest move has been questioned by many as critics pointed out the powers for search and arrest could be misused.

Source -NDTV