Rakesh Maria may head anti-terror squad |
|
Additional Commissioner of Police (crime) Rakesh Maria is likely to lead the polices proposed anti-terrorism squad.
The squad will have policemen from Mumbai as well as other parts of Maharashtra.
Currently of the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police, Marias promotion to IG rank has been due since December 2002.
He was offered the post of Chief Security Commissioner (RPF) on Central Railway, but sources said Maria refused as the posting came with a five-year tenure.
The CSC (RPF) post is of IG rank, so Maria would have got a promotion. However, he decided to wait and is likely to be rewarded with the post of chief of the new squad.
Maria, who was deputy commissioner with the Mumbai police in 1993 when the serial blasts took place, had received praise for his work in investigating the bombings.
The new squad will exclusively work towards tackling the spate of terrorist activities and will have jurisdiction over the entire state. It will co-ordinate between the city, state and intelligence agencies and analyse inputs on terrorist activities.
It is, however, yet to be decided who the squad will report to and how many officers will be part of the squad.
The nitty-gritty of the squad are yet to be decided, but a blueprint is ready, sources in the home department said.
The state government has been working on the proposal for the last four months and has had several meetings with the Central investigation agencies to give final shape to it. The issue of additional perks and salaries as well as provision of a separate budget had proved to be obstacles before the finance departments approval. Mondays twin blasts, however, sped up the process and the finance department gave its much-awaited nod.
Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal acknowledged the proposal and said a formal announcement would be made in a few days. He, however, refused to divulge any details.
Benefits of the new system Current system
City police gather intelligence on
everything morchas, underworld, political activities and communities (Muslims, Pathans, Bangladeshis etc). Current system
Unwanted officers sent to Special Branch-1 (local police arm for intelligence gathering) New scheme
ATS will sift and use inputs related exclusively to terrorist activities. Will also co-ordinate with state and Central intelligence agencies. New scheme
A team of dedicated officers, trained to tackle terrorism, will be picked and trained. If necessary, officers will be offered additional perks. How will it help?
Valuable inputs will not be lost in
the flood of information gathered by intelligence units How it will help?
Additional perks will boost the morale of officers who are otherwise not keen on an SB-I posting Current system
City police are required to inform other police stations before they carry out operations in other parts of the state.
(For instance, Mumbai crime branch units had to take help from Thane Rural police before their raids in Borivli village near Padgha in Bhiwandi.) New scheme
No need for
|
