QRTs deployed in Jamshedpur for incident-free Diwali

Jamshedpur, Oct 28: In a bid to ensure incident-free Diwali, district police have made special security arrangements at the prominent marketplaces in the steel city as a run up for the festival.

Quick Response Teams (QRT) have been deployed at Bistupur, Sakchi, Golmuri and Mango markets from today in view of the unprecedented rush there. The QRT personnel, which also include women, are equipped with wireless sets, batons and pistols.

Revealing about the deployment of QRT, an official said that the QRT  which is a part of the district police will remain deployed at the four markets  from today till the day the festival of light will be celebrated.

He pointed out that the move has been taken in accordance with the instruction of the senior superintendent of police, M Tamil Vanan.

“In all four teams, each of 30 police personnel will be engaged in each of the markets.  When a section of the team will remain static at strategic points in a market, another section will keep moving inside the marketplace during these three days,” he said.

The QRT forces have been raised by giving them special training to cope up with emergency situations in crowded public places, especially at marketplaces prior to festivals and puja occasions.

“Such forces are given special training to remain vigilant against pickpockets, purse and chain snatchers and frauds who get active in making their attempts on those who come to the markets for shopping,” said the senior police officer.

According to him, the QRT forces will also be looking into the matters involving traffic snarls and congestion caused in the crowded marketplaces, and will ensure smooth passage to the people who visit the market for the shopping.

Notably, prior to the recent Durga Puja, a number of snatching incidents had taken place in Sakchi market, which is considered to be the most crowded marketplace in the city during the festive days.

According to police, as foot-path vendors also start selling the goods at Sakchi market, it becomes difficult to walk through the marketplace for shopping, and the criminals take the huge crowd as a golden opportunity for committing the crimes.

When asked, he said that the law and order situation in the city is not that bad.  But still the city police has to be more proactive in stopping crimes like snatching, theft, loot and arms-peddling in the city.

“A number of firing incidents have taken place at a few localities in the city in the recent past, but the police have also succeeded in nabbing those involved in such incidents. The overall law and order situation in the city is not as bad,” he noted.