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The 26/11 terror attacks may have caught the city off guard, but the BMC still doesn't prefer to guard its headquarters at CST with armed security at night. Security guards at the building are armed with single barrel rifles, but only between 7 am and 11 pm.



Chief Security Officer Pravin Sawardekar claimed that the BMC had not posted any armed guards during the night because there are no people inside the headquarters. However, despite being armed during the day, the BMC guards wonder how they'll take on the terrorists since they are not trained like the commandos. The guards don't know who'll order them to fire.

"I am answerable to my superior for every single bullet I fire. I feel we've been posted only to scare the public," said a guard.  Sawardekar said, "Guards can fire for self-defense. However, they must explain the reason behind the firing."

When MiD DAY told

Additional Municipal Commissioner M Sangle about the absence of armed guards at night, he immediately asked his subordinate to post them. "We need 24-hour security, as the BMC headquarters is a sensitive place. It may take a month to deploy armed guards at night," said Sangle. He added, "There will be a senior official who will monitor the security at the headquarters."