New Delhi, Feb. 27 -- Even before the Assembly elections are formally announced, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday deployed 240 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in West Bengal, with politically volatile Purba Medinipur district witnessing the heaviest deployment of 14 companies, officials familiar with the matter said. The early deployment of CAPF, officials said, comes amid judicial scrutiny of the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the eastern state. Although the Supreme Court, in its recent order, did not direct CAPF deployment, it stressed the need for strict compliance, adequate law-and-order support and unhindered continuation of the exercise. The top court issued binding...