How the Mumbai police will get better intelligence

Sheela Bhatt, Mumbai Police Commissioner Dhanushkodi Sivanandan spoke about his resolve to prevent another 26/11 like terror attack on the city. 


In this concluding part of his interview, the city's top cop assures citizens that they are "100 per cent safe."

What are you doing to improve the poor level of intelligence about terrorist activities?

We are not poor, I will not buy this accusation at all. The Maharashtra and Mumbai police forces are different. The Mumbai police's intelligence is limited to what is happening in Mumbai. 

What happened in Pakistan and how terrorists came through international waters are matters to be looked into by the Navy, Coast Guard and other agencies. 

Whatever is happening in Pakistan is known to the agency, I don't want to name it, but they are supposed to tell us what happened there. You can't blame local police for the Mumbai attacks.

I know what is happening in my galli (lane). I know what all is happening to (fugitive gangster) Dawood (Ibrahim)'s brothers and others. I am in control. I am in charge of the city and we will control law and order. 

But if you ask me what is happening in Muridke or elsewhere in Pakistan occupied Kashmir, how do I answer you? Sorry, madam, this is not my job.

After the Mumbai attacks the city lost its confidence. Anybody can come into the city from anywhere and mount a ruthless attack. That emotion of fear has to go. In between has come the report that even an air strike is possible on Mumbai.

Just because confidence building measures are being done does not mean that nothing will happen anywhere in the world. India is no exception. We are surrounded by hostile neighbours.

How can we say we will seal 720 km of Maharashtra's sea border? That also doesn't mean that we can allow blatant things like landing in Cuffe Parade (in south Mumbai) and walking up to the Taj Mahal hotel. That is why we have taken sure steps to stop such things. 

We have created the Sagari Suraksha Dal, held meetings with fishermen. We are creating a system of reporting to us. However, you didn't allow me to brief you fully on intelligence, you jumped to another question.

Please tell us.

For better intelligence we have directly recruited 150 assistant intelligence officers. Already 50 have been trained and sent to various places in Maharashtra. One more level, of 82 senior intelligence officers, has also been recruited.

Around 12,000 had applied, out of them we selected 82. Out of the 82 there are 26 women who opted to become IO. They are being trained in a state-of-the-art intelligence academy built at a cost of Rs 15 crore (Rs 150 million) in Pune. It is comparable to any similar school. We have looked around, trained people and given them postings. 

You very well know all over the country there is a vacancy in intelligence postings. It is not a job that people jump at. You know at what price people pay to get police jobs. However, the intelligence issue is worked out and is gathering momentum.