Anti-Maoists like operations launched in Gadchiroli to catch copycats in exams

Nagpur: The police in Maoists-affected Gadchiroli have taken the anti-copying campaign for the ongoing HSC board examination a notch higher. Gadchiroli police, under superintendent of police (SP) Neelotpal, have launched full-fledged short range patrolling (SRP), just like anti-Maoist operations, to ensure that cops reach the examination centres located in remote and highly-sensitive corners, known as Maoist strongholds, to keep tight vigil and detain anyone loitering in the vicinity for copying or abetting it.
In the anti-copying campaigns, the predominance is of the police who are being escorted by the C-60 commandos. In anti-Naxal operations, it’s the heavily armed C-60 commandos who are more in numbers.
Neelotpal, who visited two exam centres near Gadchiroli on February 21, said he has decided to step up the anti-copying campaigns. “A government circular has directed the police unit commanders to act strict against the copying racketeers. I have always acted tough against copying since my early days in the department,” he said.
During his visit, Neelotpal issued instructions to the examination centre heads against any unethical and unfair means. “On the first day, we had detained five persons loitering near the examination centres. We are actively monitoring the centres on all days but there will be extra vigilance for mathematics, science and English papers,” he said.
The SP said he had instructed the sub-divisional police officers (SDPOs) to visit exam centres and also activated the local crime branch (LCB) for catching anyone trying to engage or abet copying or cheating at the exam centres. “The SRP operations were launched for examination centres located at sensitive Maoist pockets like Bhamragarh, Bamni, Kurkheda, Ghot, Azmirah, Kadholi, Sironcha and such places,” said Neelotpal adding that so far no copying case has been registered in the district this time.
Neelotpal said he had also sent flying squads on bikes to different centres in the vicinity of the police posts.