COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore city police have bound over nearly 594 history-sheeters here in view of the upcoming April 23 assembly election.The measure was taken as part of intensive precautionary steps to maintain law and order and to ensure a peaceful electoral environment in the city. The action was initiated by the election cell formed ahead of the election.Following the orders of Coimbatore city police commissioner N Kannan, police attached to the election cell collected details of history-sheeters and habitual offenders in the city. They identified 594 such people with criminal backgrounds. With less than a month left for the election, police made all 594 rowdies and troublemakers give an undertaking that they would not involve themselves in any criminal activity during the election season.A senior police official attached to the election cell said, “To maintain law and order and ensure a peaceful election, we have taken this measure. Violators will be arrested and remanded in judicial custody. They won’t get bail. Similarly, we are also monitoring people who were served notices under Section 51A of the Madras City Police Act, which empowers the commissioner of police to order the removal of rowdy elements from the city.”This process, often referred to as “binding over” or “bound out,” involves legally restricting the movement and activities of known troublemakers to prevent them from interfering with the electoral process. Police require offenders to sign bonds pledging good behaviour. If they breach the bond by engaging in criminal acts or disturbing the peace, they face immediate detention.
