TOI : City police busy protecting VIPs, reveals RTI plea : Nov 7,2007
City police busy protecting VIPs, reveals RTI plea
Viju B I TNN
Mumbai: What does a former police commissioner, a local union leader and a corporator have in common?
All three have been provided with armed protection by the Mumbai police, considering the threats to their lives. They are among the 2,001 people who move around with security provided by the protection and security branch of the city police.
Shocking as it may seem, as many as 12,083 cops and officers have in the last one year been deployed for the protection of VVIPs/VIPS, filmstars and other people who complained of threats to their lives. Several police personnel were deployed as when there were threat perceptions at commercial and public places throughout the year, and also accompanied visiting dignitaries.
These statistics were furnished by the police following a Right to Information query by a resident, Chetan Kothari.
The total strength of the Mumbai force is 41,914, policing a population of 1.5 crore people. Senior police officials said regular deployment of hundreds of personnel and officers for protection duty have put a further strain on a force already facing staff shortage.
Its high time the government proposes a separate cell and staff for this purpose. Its a waste of public expenditure when graduates and post-graduates who are trained for investigation in solving crimes are sent for protection duty, said former police commissioner Satish Sahaney, adding that the state should also think of having a professional outfit with a 10,000-strong force for this purpose alone. We should demarcate people specialised in a particular field.
Former IPS officer Y C Pawar said many local politicians and corporators misused the facility by talking about perceived threats. What is the criteria for a former police commissioner and local mathadhi union leader to get 24-hour security? he asked.
Pawar said the department gets ludicrous requests from politicians for security. One senior minister even asked for security because he was the vicechancellor of a deemed university, he added.
The requests are assessed at the police commissionerate and
home department levels. A yearly review is done on the list of people who have been given personal security; names are added and cancelled based on the threat perception, an official said.
Former commissioner D S Soman said senior officials should look at each case carefully and decide on the need for protection. Intelligence policing rather than providing security for no rhyme or reason is the need of the hour.
CALL OF DUTY
Number of police personnel deployed for following duties:
VVIP/VIP 1,865 Filmstars 14 Court matters 6 Personal safety 116
Publication:Times Of India Mumbai; Date:Nov 7, 2007; Section:Times City; Page Number:10