UP to introduce special security force with powers to search/arrest without warrant

In addition to its zero tolerance policy towards crime, the Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday announced that a special force team will be established. This special force will have similar to power to the CISF (Central Industrial Security Force), this step was taken by the orders of Allahabad High Court, which expressed concerns and discontent over the security at civil courts last December.

The Uttar Pradesh Special Security Force (UPSSF) will be tasked to protect the courts, airports, administrative buildings, metros, banks and other state government offices. The Special Security Force will be having power to search and arrest without warrant.
Briefing reporters here, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said, "The state government has given orders for the constitution of a special security force. A roadmap in this regard has been sought from the UP DGP."

"This is a dream project of the UP chief minister. The basis of this force is an order of the High Court, which had ordered that there should be a specialised force for civil courts. In all, there will be 9,919 personnel in the force," he added.

Awasthi said five battalions will be constituted in the first phase and it will be headed by an ADG-ranked officer.

"Expenses incurred in the first phase will be around Rs 1,747 crore," Awasthi said.
This move by government is criticized and questioned by many pointing out the draconian powers of search and arrest could be misused.

There has been no formal response from the government on the criticism, however, sources, have underlined the powers being given to the UPSSF are similar to the CISF , the central force that guards similar installations.

Section 12 of the CISF ACT reads: "Whenever any member of the Force not below the prescribed rank has reason to believe that any such offence as is referred to in section 11 has been or is being committed and that a search warrant cannot be obtained without affording the offender an opportunity of escaping or of concealing evidence of the offence, he may detain the offender and search his person and belongings forthwith and, if he thinks proper, arrest any person whom he has reason to believe to have committed the offence."