Mumbai police bought luxury cars not new weapons

[beetle]

Mumbai police bought luxury cars not new weapons 30 Nov 2008, 0402 hrs IST, Prafulla Marpakwar, TNN MUMBAI: A multi-agency operation may have managed to make Mumbai terror-free but the last few days have exposed the incapability of Mumbai Police to tackle terrorism. Experts feel it would be unfair to blame that entirely on the cop on the street, but we should look at what the government has done to equip the force to take on terrorists. The government has promised to make Mumbai a safer place every time the city has faced terror. Senior ministers have repeatedly stressed that the force would be modernised and equipped with machines that would allow it to return terrorists' firepower. But most of those promises have remained on paper, even a cursory glance at the last few years' budgetary provisions reveal. Records show that the government has spent Rs 940 crore on "modernisation'' in the last eight years. But most of the money has been used for construction of new police stations, administrative buildings and buying luxury sedans for senior IPS officers. "We had adequate funds but never upgraded our firepower to tackle terror attacks. That was why we were helpless when terrorists attacked Mumbai on Wednesday,'' a senior IPS officer said, adding that 60% of the Rs 940 crore was spent on buildings and cars and very little on improving mobility or upgrading weapons and ammunition. Officials say the home department's focus is on procuring luxury vehicles and accessories for top officers. Maharashtra has 22 additional DGPs and four DGPs. Every one has a luxury sedan. IGPs and SPs too have modern cars at their disposal and at least 20 such cars are at the disposal of the deputy CM himself. Some of them are used by him, the remaining are used by his staff. "Chinese-made beacons worth about Rs 30,000 had been fitted on many of these vehicles but could not be replaced after they stopped working as there was no warranty,'' an official added. Officials expected the home department to draft a plan to buy bullet-proof cars for officers in sensitive posts, replace age-old weapons and procure more bullet-proof jackets for personnel. But none of that has happened. "We have no ammunition for training State Reserve Police Force officials and so most SRPF constables have absolutely no experience of using rifles. They use it when they are summoned to tackle a mob or to control riots,'' the IPS officer said. A programme was drafted for getting AK-47s and replacing obsolete weapons two years ago but it was not followed up seriously. Maharashtra, as a result, is the only state in India where most cops embark on sensitive operations with old weapons. Ditto for bullet-proof jackets; cops here would like to sample the scientifically designed Koeffler jackets that can protect the body from any type of bullet and are used by the NSG and other commando forces the world over. But it is another article on a long wish-list. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(

[Ram]

When you see news like these, it makes you wonder why the people like Home Minister are resigning. Its not like he's the only guilty party. The guilt is at all levels, only the extent of its severity varies.

[DomainK]

When you see news like these, it makes you wonder why the people like Home Minister are resigning. Its not like he's the only guilty party. The guilt is at all levels, only the extent of its severity varies.

It does not make me wonder. The home minister is the direct boss of the police force. If the force was buying luxury cars, it was in the home minister's knowledge.

[Guest dada_rocks]

http://dailypioneer.com/138253/Mumbai-exposed-we-were-not-prepared.html On the morning of November 27th, having watched the ordeal in Mumbai all through the night on television, I suddenly recalled that a school mate has just shifted base to Mumbai after taking premature retirement from the Army. He had called-up the other day to say that his office was in South Mumbai, close to Taj Mahal hotel. “I am lucky, I returned home early as there was nobody to cook food at home,” he said, exchanged pleasantries and hung-up. A few minutes later, his name flashed again on the mobile screen. “You were mentioning something about martyrdom of 12 cops. They allowed themselves to become fodder,” he said. Realising that he is a former Black Cat, the journalist in me decided to probe him further. “What non-sense is this? Two five stars and a Jewish hospice is taken over and the cops think that it would be an act of amateurs. They thought that it would be like that Patna lad taking over the BEST bus, who could be encountered,” he yelled and went to give a discourse on how the high rate of casualties could have been arrested. Footnote: This is the season of martyr felicitation so tough questions are not being asked about the conduct of mumbai ATS specially. How can you question a guy who died in uniform that's the sentiment right not but ***** is going to come to the fore in course of time. For instance by its own admissionShahid karkare himself said 90% of his worlforce is busy in Sadhvi case. Question would be whether this level of activism was justified at the cost of sleeping in other more pressing cases. Every day like NDTV bulletin one or another release used to come from ATS to be denied next day. BTW have you noticed you guys.. same media NDTV and IBNlIve who had this 24/7 festival with Hindu-terro and Sadhvi-terror headline flashing suddenly have conducted themselves with unexolicable restraint no mention of ISlamic or muslim terror. people kept on suyggesting do not use those hindu-terro phrase but these guys didn't buzz. So their conduct was right then or is right now. everybody is gunnign for politicians while these most divisive element of media NDTV/IBnlive are getting away with murder..

[beetle]

Shut up dada rocks!.....that bloody saadhvi and that col purohit are as big slimeballs as these islamic fundoos.Infact we should hate them even morefor throwing mud on hindus. Bloody losers have brought shame on hindus and the army. They should be tried and if found guilty,they should be hung .You are such a bloody hypocrite!

[Guest dada_rocks]

Shut up dada rocks!.....that bloody saadhvi and that col purohit are as big slimeballs as these islamic fundoos.Infact we should hate them even morefor throwing mud on hindus. Bloody losers have brought shame on hindus and the army. They should be tried and if found guilty' date='they should be hung .You are such a bloody hypocrite![/quote'] Wud u please shut your piehole,, When u have no clue whatsoever.... What they have done or oto done is different issue.. point here is conduct of media.. why make song and dance with hindu-terror phrase in opne case become silent in another case..

[beetle]

Really? You have the clues?...you know them better? or are you the spokesperson of those terrorists?

[Guest dada_rocks]

are u that thick.. I am talking about conduct of media and you are vomitting about sthg else..

[beetle]

The media needs to go after all kinds of terrorists..... The islamic terrorists have done their bit for bringing their people to shame...now these bloody messed up criminalsare doing it to us. They have given the world a reason to question ourclaims of Pak involvment in all terrorist attacks.Even a loser country like Pakistan reminds us of them. We have more reasons to hate these terrorists more becausethey bring shame upon us. And my response was to your silence about the saadhvi kind of terrorists.

[beetle]

The investigation is on and from what has come in the media...these people look far from innocent. BB...do you want hindus to also become like most muslims in the world and bury their heads and stay in denial? Do you want hindus also becoming conspiracy specialist?These people,specially Purohit have done enough to bring shame on us. It is shameful for a man in uniform to get involved in such things!

[beetle]

Well, then we shouldn't be in a hurry to brand the others(not in this case)guilty in a hurry. If we are willing to wait for the law to take it's course,then we should do it for all cases....otherwise we are just hypocrites. Personally speaking ,I am more ashamed of these people than the afzal gurus...because I didn't expect this from them(atleast not from a man wearing olive green).

[THX_1138]

this is what happens when there is lack of accountability. back in the 1990s, my mother was a member of a neighborhood watch, and a civilian watchdog agency that would be like a grievance cell for civilians who were disenchanted or done wrong to by the law enforcement by action or inaction. the failure of the measure was as spectacular as its conception. we lived in new delhi then, and well, while a number of people came forward with grievances, all that the neighborhood watchdog could do was go to the local station and lodge a complain. occasionally a stern complain... but little else. the local MLA did nothing beyond hollow platitudes and the ministry was unapproachable. and the very best, once my mum manged to speak to this one lady who hosted a talk show where she would quiz politicians, but she turned out to be a dead end too. i say that these budgets should be made public, like they are over here. and there should be public record of exactly where the money was spent, and then the press must do their due diligence by confirming the spending records.

[Mr. Wicket]

Saddening to read.

[Guest dada_rocks]

The media needs to go after all kinds of terrorists..... The islamic terrorists have done their bit for bringing their people to shame...now these bloody messed up criminalsare doing it to us. They have given the world a reason to question ourclaims of Pak involvment in all terrorist attacks.Even a loser country like Pakistan reminds us of them. We have more reasons to hate these terrorists more becausethey bring shame upon us. And my response was to your silence about the saadhvi kind of terrorists.

Nonsense wait till conviction.........My point is regarding reporting why use profusely hindu-terro temr in one case and shy away from muslim-teror i another.. I know it;s too complex for you to grasp..

[Guest dada_rocks]

Well, then we shouldn't be in a hurry to brand the others(not in this case)guilty in a hurry. If we are willing to wait for the law to take it's course,then we should do it for all cases....otherwise we are just hypocrites. Personally speaking ,I am more ashamed of these people than the afzal gurus...because I didn't expect this from them(atleast not from a man wearing olive green).

Same BS I have not passed judgement on who is guilty or who is not.. my beef is with style of reporting changing tunes.. ............. IF you sing hindu-terror then use muslim-terro.. i ratehr none of them get used because it defeats the purpose but as NDTv and ibnlive have shown despite consistent demand that they must not use hiondu-terro word they went ahead with it.. so the point is why chicken out now ........ you keep confusing this simple matetr with all kind of BS peripherals

[Guest dada_rocks]

The investigation is on and from what has come in the media...these people look far from innocent. BB...do you want hindus to also become like most muslims in the world and bury their heads and stay in denial? Do you want hindus also becoming conspiracy specialist?These people' date='specially Purohit have done enough to bring shame on us. It is shameful for a man in uniform to get involved in such things![/quote'] Again same story.. point being made has nothing to do whether they are guilty or innocent point here is the style of reporting changing tunes......... why does this simple thing evades you is beyond me.. Why use phrase like hindu-terro in one case and shy away from the phrase muslim-terror in another case. This is the drift of my post. I rather none of them get used but if you must then use both..

[Guest dada_rocks]

beetle ' date=' isnt it true that whatever that poor women said has all checked out ? The ATS accused Purohit of Samjauta and said he carried 60kgs of RDX never realizing that the original investigation of Samjautha had nothing to do with RDX.[/quote'] i ain;t even talkng about investigation BB.. ImY point had to do with reporting of the episode and how the tune changes from aggresisve use of hindu terro bhagwa terro in another case to rank silence over religious association of terorists in thsi case. Despite the fact they made no bones about why they are doing this.. You knwo some turkish couple was let go because they were muslim.. yet I believe responsible reporting should try not to associate these things with religion because it weakens our fight . Obvioucly our media houses broke that cardinal rule which they have exercised till Malegaon I say oke fine now may be you will tallk openly about religious association but then again I see a islamic terro and conveneintly all the media houses went back to orginal rule of we will not talk about religious association of terrorists...... Why this double standard.. Conviction or guilty will come later more damage gets done by these nautanki.. Who cares about conviction how many of us know all the rape murder charges against Shankaracharya was cooked one.. damage was done to his reputation hence I care more about reporting than the original case.. I knwo there are as many holes in police version as swiss cheese.......but that's different topic

[Guest dada_rocks]

this is what happens when there is lack of accountability. back in the 1990s, my mother was a member of a neighborhood watch, and a civilian watchdog agency that would be like a grievance cell for civilians who were disenchanted or done wrong to by the law enforcement by action or inaction. the failure of the measure was as spectacular as its conception. we lived in new delhi then, and well, while a number of people came forward with grievances, all that the neighborhood watchdog could do was go to the local station and lodge a complain. occasionally a stern complain... but little else. the local MLA did nothing beyond hollow platitudes and the ministry was unapproachable. and the very best, once my mum manged to speak to this one lady who hosted a talk show where she would quiz politicians, but she turned out to be a dead end too. i say that these budgets should be made public, like they are over here. and there should be public record of exactly where the money was spent, and then the press must do their due diligence by confirming the spending records.

Good suggestion.. but honestytransparency accoutability doesn't have much value in indian polity.. all that media cares is who makes soundbites that can be termed secular............

[Guest dada_rocks]

Thousands of bomb blsat scores of conviction thousands of supects VS one suspect with dubious connection and we have the idiocy to draw parallel..

[milkman]

http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/dec/02mumterror-constable-survived-at-cst.htm