Centre airlifts 10 more CRPF companies to Delhi

New Delhi: Ten Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) companies were airlifted from Chhattisgarh on Friday to be deployed in Delhi to bolster security measures in view of the continuing student protest, officials said. Thousands of students and activists have been protesting in the national capital for more than a month, demanding Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over serial examination paper leaks including the medical college entrance test.

Separately, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) restricted leaves of its Delhi Metro security unit due to the protests.

A security review meeting held on Thursday decided that all CAPF units scheduled to be stationed in the capital ahead of Independence Day be asked to report early. About 150 CAPF companies will be deployed in Delhi over the next few days, with each company comprising about 100 personnel, according to the officials. About 100 such companies are already in Delhi assisting the local police with law and order duties, they said.


Earlier this week, the Centre airlifted 20 CRPF companies from West Bengal to be deployed in Delhi to oversee student protests being waged under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party. Close on its heels came the induction of three Rapid Action Force units and several other CAPF units, such as the SSB, BSF and ITBP.

CISF officials said orders have been issued to sanction only emergency leaves to its Delhi Metro unit as maximum manpower is required at the metro stations given the security situation in Delhi-National Capital Region. The CISF has deployed about 13,000 personnel to provide counter-terrorism security cover across 250 stations of the rapid rail network in the National Capital Region.