Blanket security ensures peace in Dahod village

A heavy security arrangement by the police ensured that no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in Dahod district...

A heavy security arrangement by the police ensured that no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in Dahod district when the quantum of punishment was announced in the Bilkis Bano case by a special court in Mumbai on Monday.

Eleven people have been sentenced to life for their role in the Bilkis Bano gangrape-cum-murder case in the aftermath of the Godhra train carnage, while a lone police personnel, accused of shielding the guilty, has been sentenced to three years’ rigorous imprisonment.

Superintendent of Police, Dahod, Nipurna Torwane said heavy police bandobast and security arrangements were made in advance by the district police to stem any form of misadventure.

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“We had ensured adequate police bandobast across the district and carried out patrolling, which will remain in place as long as there is tension in the air. With adequate assistance from the Border Wing that posted one platoon each at Devgadh Baria and Randhikpur, the law and order situation has remained peaceful throughout the day,” Torwane said, adding that no trouble was reported from anywhere in any village.

The security arrangements were certainly effective as was witnessed by a deafening silence on the streets of Singvad and Panivela villages of Dahod, when the special court in Mumbai pronounced the quantum of punishment. Close relatives of those convicted were in Mumbai. However, their extended family here said they were unhappy with the punishment.