Goa to rope in ex-Navy officers to assist marine police

PTI, May 20, 2010, 01.59pm IST
PANAJI: The Goa government has decided to rope in former defence officers to guide its marine police force, armed with sophisticated boats to man the coast.

“We do not have trained manpower to handle such boats. We will have to be dependent on ex-officers of Indian Navy or Indian coast guard for the guidance,” chief secretary Sanjay Srivastava said.

“Officers can be employed with the special police unit for two to three years. The marine police will work in tandem with the Navy and coast guard to safeguard the state coastline, where vigil has been stepped up after 26/11 and recent terror alerts,” he said.

Srivastava was talking to the media after taking possession of a high-speed interceptor boat, constructed by Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL).

The boat which is the fifth to be acquired by Goa has been provided under an initiative of the Union Home Ministry to strengthen coastal security.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Ravindra Yadav said the need for these boats was felt after the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai when coastal security was breached.

“The basic responsibility of marine police is to use these boats to ensure there was no sea-bound terror attack and also detect and stop smuggling and other illegal activities,” he said.
Goa to rope in ex-Navy officers to assist marine police: Times of India

Stranded ship (the "River Princess") at Calangute Beach, Goa. The ship stranded in 2000 during an unexpected storm. Photo: Soman

Lowest bid for Princess's removal is Rs 108 crore
TNN, May 22, 2010, 01.51am IST
PANAJI: Getting rid of the grounded River Princess may now cost the state at least Rs 100 crore. When tourism department on Friday opened the financial bids of the two companies left in the fray for removing the grounded vessel, Goa-based Madgavkar Salvage was found to have submitted the lowest bid for Rs 108 crore.

"Madgavkar has submitted a financial bid of Rs 98 crore plus 10% tax. That works out to Rs 108 crore," tourism director Nikhil Desai told TOI.

Desai, however, said he was unable to provide details of the financial tender submitted by Madgavkar's competitors, US-based Titan Salvage.

"Titan Salvage has quoted higher. However, it does not mean that we have awarded the tender to any one of the bidders. We are yet to scrutinize Titan's bid," the tourism director said.

The decision on who gets the contract to get rid of River Princess lies with the Goa State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA), which will meet shortly.
Lowest bid for Princess's removal is Rs 108 crore

Military Police Help Line Launched

Thursday, May 20, 2010 16:10 IST
The Indian Army has achieved a major milestone by activating the Military Police help line. The Facility was inaugurated by Army Chief General VK Singh on 19 May 10 during the biannual Army Commanders Conference being held at New Delhi. Common Military help line telephone number 155200 can now be accessed across the Nation to provide assistance to military personnel. The number is available at Mil Police Control Rooms and is instituted to provide immediate assistance and be instrumental in solving and mitigating crisis being faced by military personnel. In addition, it will provide an excellent facility for the civil police and the public to contact the Army Military Police to provide first hand information of any situation where military persons are involved or has potential to affect the military persons.

The telephone number has been allotted in coordination with department of telecommunication and can be accessed locally and from outside the locality by prefixing the STD code of that station. The facility has been activated presently at some of the Metro cities and State Capitals. The telecommunication Authorities have assured full support in extending the Services across the Nation at the earliest.
Veeredra/Rajendra
Military Police Help Line Launched: PIB

Colonel held with bar girls in Gujarat

Shiv Aroor, Monday, April 19, 2010
An army officer was recently caught frolicking at a sleazy rave party at a farmhouse in Ahmedabad district's Sanand area recently. The officer was arrested along with seven bar girls and 21 others at the party.

Colonel Ritobroto Sengupta was arrested on April 15. He was reportedly caught dancing with bar girls and consuming alcohol at the party, both illegal under the Gujarat laws.

Confirming the news to Headlines Today, the Army said that the officer's conduct was being probed. He was arrested, questioned and then handed over to army authorities for further action. The officer belongs to the Dhangadhra military station, where he commands an artillery unit.

The party, which had free-flowing illegal alcohol and seven bar dancers from Mumbai, was allegedly thrown by an Ahmedabad businessman and had several other businessmen in attendance.

Sources told Headlines Today that the officer was being probed for giving the police a fake name. The police were also investigating the possibility if he provided alcohol at the party. His links with the businessmen in attendance was also being probed.

Sources said there was also a serving brigadier involved in the party, but he might have given police the slip during the raid. The Army has not confirmed the brigadier's presence at the party.
Colonel held with bar girls in Guj

Rito Brato Sengupta, serving as colonel with Indian Army at Dhrangadra base was also among the arrested. He initially told investigator that his name was Rakesh Varma. We have charged him with misguiding investigators.
Police bust booze party at Sanand farmhouse, 29 held

Domestic helps are not Sahayaks: Military Officers need to exercise caution

Choose your domestic help with care- by T A Santhana Raman 03 Apr 2010
In all metro and other big cities, life becomes a stand still without the domestic help. The reason for searching a dometic help are umpteen.

Modern sophisticated life, shifting from joint family system to micro family structure, both members taking job assignments, choosing posh living system, spouse's novice nature to cooking, for taking care of the young ones, grown up sons and daughters settling abroad leaving the senior parents helpless may be some strong supporting reasons. Self-boasting nature of women having too many domestic servants is the order of the day. Your prestige and grade in your friends' circle is based on the number of servants you have and you are highly rated! I heard my niece conversing with her friend that she was unable to maintain the house in spite of having four servants(in New Delhi). Her remark was with a punch of elation.

A close circuit and well-knit family taking care of themselves is far better than going for servants. It is very difficult to get sincere, honest, caring and duty-bound ones, for, it is a short-lived contractual relationship that cannot last long. Current scenerio witnesses these prospective helpers are greedy to the core, dishonest, viloent and of unsound mind mostly. They are further pretentitious.

It is highly essential for us to verify the credentials of the servant well in advance before employment. Many gory incidents have taken place throughout the country....senior citizens (including military officers families) baterred with iron rods and killed, servants decamping with jewellery and cash, kidnapping the children for ransom, cases like Aarushi's, drugging the inmates and killing for petty quarrels and abuses, single males misbehaving with servants in teens.

If one hires a servant just like picking up a displayed item in the mall things would turn very difficult for him/ her. It is always wise to check the antecedents of domestic help to be on the safer side. The necessity is many of them are chosen from the floating populace to the urban and suburban areas or from the migrants group about whom our knowledge and info is zero. It lands the police department into a helpless situation and tiresome hunt for them once incedents take place.

There are some suggestive steps in this angle:
1. Never hire any servant before you come to know about him/ her even if your relatives or friends recommend.
2. Do not sympathise with their look/ appearance. They may be the best actors if consigned to the Bollywood.
3. When someone is suggested, demnd their papers and pass on the papers and the servants to the nearest police station for verification.
4. Never keep them even for a day without a nod from the police.
5. Fix their wages and other non-monetory concessions well in advance. Dont deviate from that norm even if you feel impressed that they deserve more than your offer.
6. Avoid discussing your financial position in their presence whatsoever.....like leaving your debit/ credit cards unattended, leaving your cheque books, bank pass books, property documents to their reach. This might lure them to vulnerable indisposition.
7. Avoid doldrums from your end on the landline or cells when they are at work.
8. Never let them know your daily chores or itineray.
9. Don't keep servants for overnight stay. It may result in problems rather than of any help.
10. Especially married women, dont encourage the servants talking about your spouses or make them follow the husbands like the CID sleuths. This will demean your dignity and can be misuesd by the servants to blackmail you for gains.
11. Keep the servants at a distance and show them their place. Never entertain any of their relatives or friends in your flats.
12. Keep in touch with the police officers and make a request to them to monitor their movements periodically.
13. While going for shopping with them, dont allow allow them a chance to sneak into your fat wallet.
14. Keep all your safe lockers shut and dont allow the keys hanging.
15. Above all dont entertain them talking to you about your neighbours in any manner, because they may be doing so similarly with them. It may result in the estrangement and you may miss the neighbours' valuable help at the time of crises.

Finally it may be wise to keep changing them after a reasonable time because the intimacy developed results in crimes and you may be caught in them unaware! Good Day and Good Luck!!!
Choose your domestic help with care

Precaution: Domestic servants form the main intelligence source for the thugs and criminals. Information regarding your travel/ shopping plans or absence from home is passed on by cell phones to enable criminals to take advantage. Many couples proceeding on journeys for weddings/ shopping and other social functions have been robbed at the Railway Platforms, Bus Stands or driving their cars. Veterans need to be doubly cautious of Home Security. Installation of a security camera in the house is an wise option for those employing domestic servants and personal drivers.

Allow Tatas to take on terrorists

It defies imagination how four gun-toting terrorists could walk freely into one of Mumbai’s imposing landmarks, the Taj Hotel, and play with the lives of the inmates for full three days, before shooting them down en masse.

Were there no security guards, official or private, around to stop the foursome in their tracks? Why did Ratan Tata, one of India’s most resourceful businessmen who owns the hotel, not engage a well-trained private security force to provide fool-proof security to his hotel?

The sad reality is that the government would neither provide security personnel to guard private establishments, nor would allow the managements to deploy well-equipped private security forces to defend their establishments. The CISF’s brief is only to guard public sector establishments.

Soon after the hostage drama ended at Oberoi hotel in Mumbai, chairman of the Oberoi group, P R S Oberoi, told a TV channel that it took nearly a year for him to secure a gun license from the Mumbai police for his personal security guard. If this was the experience of one of the most influential hoteliers, what about lesser mortals? Laws stand in the way of private managements equipping their private security with the most sophisticated weapons like AK-47 freely accessible to the terrorists.

In the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, India Inc has approached the government for increased terror protection. Private security firms want the government to issue bulk license for firearms. Some private companies have decided to raise their own private security force to strengthen security in their various locations. Some have engaged international risk assessment firms to advise them on bolstering security.

Even as we think of setting up one more investigation agency to tackle terror, the Government has to address the question of easing the regulations on private security forces. Many business leaders and IT majors have volunteered to take charge of the security of their establishments, provided the government removes the legal hurdles. Ratan Tata said he was exploring the possibility of engaging an external agency to provide security to Taj hotel. Mukesh Ambani said he was willing to send his teenage son to the Army for compulsory arms training in defense of the country.

The government’s post-26/11 proposal to extend the services of CISF to private sector won’t go far, given the low motivation and inadequate training of government security personnel. The government should garner the resources and professionalism of the private sector to supplement its anti-terror operations.

While the Army is best left to defend our borders, the government should involve the private sector in a big way to strengthen internal security. More so, when our Tatas and Ambanis are all too willing to take up the challenge.
Allow Tatas to take on terrorists
Taj, Trident flooded with reservation requests

Comment: The private security is truly in a mess. ESM recruited for security services are poorly paid, ill equipped and clad comically. The image of our Jawans have been degraded further by DGR under the MoD.

Live Video Coverage: War on Terror

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War on Terror
To win a war against an efficient invisible enemy, we do not need rhetoric on television, but a balanced evaluation and response. The media also reaches the terrorist bases, we therefore, must have control to only show what we need to, and deny them information and subsequent reaction.

I am certain that their control rooms, would have been delighted to see the carnage, and fore warning of our military operations. The imbalance in reporting, can culminate into a situation of exact information, and confusion. The enemy thrives on such coverage. We should actually use it to our advantage and misinformation, to confuse the enemy.

What is being publicised is Mr Karkare's heroism! God bless his soul, but I think for a senior officer to be running around inappropriately equipped and protected may well be excessive zeal and not really supreme bravery. I sincerely hope our Government would actually equip our Police and Army better. Not a single Australian soldier/ policeman has been killed wearing Hellweg body armour. Aramid helmets replaced steel ones ten years ago. So an emerging super power, equipped worse than the worst. Mr Karkare died simply because he was not wearing an appropriate Bullet proof Vest. Very sad indeed!!

Mr Karkare went to the hospital on an impulse not knowing any thing of the threat. He did not fire a single shot & he and his colleagues were absolutely vulnerable targets for the terrorists. No doubt , a very honest & efficient officer he became an easy prey. Unfortunately his vehicle was then used by the terrorists for further mayhem. He would have been of immense value sitting in the control room and directing the operation with his wide knowledge and experience. India needed him ,and all others who died in that ordeal, to live.

We have this tendency to give such deaths a halo of Martyrdom. The same thing happened in Kabul, when our Embassy was attacked. The IFS officer & Brig Mehta got highest awards for bravery. Was it really bravery or simply , unfortunate deaths, as their car was blown up. I think it was again an intelligence failure, capitalised by the media, and awarded by our Government.

Innocent people sitting in trains also die when there is a bomb blast. Hundreds died inside the Taj and Trident Hotels. They never get gallantry awards. The Staff at the Taj and Trident-Oberoi hotels we are told did an exemplary job, protecting and guiding their guests, and many even laid down their lives. Their sagas of courage remain largely unsung.

While these officers gave the supreme sacrifice, on duty, it is not really raw gallantry, but yes, they died in harness ,and must be duly recognised, and their kith and kin looked after.

The government and especially the media, needs to draw a line some where & recognise the difference of raw courage beyond the call of duty in the face of the enemy, and death on duty.

It is on this account ,that the real valour & grit of Maj Unnikrishnan, and Hav Rajbir etc will be eclipsed. They actually gave their lives in the face of active fire and a visible enemy.

The time has come for India to awaken. Let us savour our 61 years of Independence. The time has come, to remind ourselves that we have been invaded and ruled for 800 years earlier. Is that the ugly reason why we are resilient. I think this has been misconstrued to our average reaction which is knee jerk. This does not mean that if we get a jerk we go on our knees. We are a fiercely proud nation and people. Let us all rise from our self created islands/silos of being Mumbaikars or Chennaikars or whatever. Let us be Indians.

Lets us all salute the Brave Unknown Indian, and rise, to deliver, an exemplary and befitting reply to the perpetrators and supporters of these heinous crimes against civilised society. May they never be able to attack my motherland again.
JAGO MERA INDIA ! JAI HIND.

"No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country.
He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country." - Attributed to General George Patton Jr, from "A Genius for War" by Carlo d'Este.
My random thoughts in anguish...

Major Moshe Kohli (Retd)

Mumbai Attack a glaring intelligence failure

During March 2008 an American technology company promoting CATE (Computer-Assisted Threat Evaluation) technology had organised a presentation in Mumbai for the Indian Navy, the Coast Guard, etc, as to how a terrorist group could mount an attack on Mumbai taking the sea route. This technology, when deployed, would provide surveillance of the coast line and warn the Coast Guard and the Navy of the approach of an unknown and unidentified sea vessels/boats. In the instant case, an attack similar to the one in Mumbai had been envisaged and depicted in the presentation. The case for acquisition of this equipment got wrapped in red tape and found a final resting place in some cupboard in Delhi.

The Mumbai attack is not the last of such terrorist acts that we will face. There is need for India to put its act together, so that it can, in future, deal with such situations in a more orderly and meaningful manner and with a degree of professionalism and efficiency. Some of the following points need to be looked into: One, improve the quality of intelligence by inculcating professionalism and accountability. Two, each state from within its resources should form a small group of personnel, trained in anti-terrorist tasks and be available to deal with hostage situations. This would obviate the need to call NSG personnel from Delhi. The strength of the NSG would in this case require to be scaled down.

We should have a plan to put in place a command and control structure (wherever required) immediately when such a situation arises. The command and control group(s) should coordinate the actions of various types of forces deployed, including fire brigade resources and control of crowds. Some prior training and coordination between various forces likely to be committed should be undertaken.

In the case of a hostage situation, expert(s) in this field should take charge and start dialogue with terrorists without delay. Strict control must be exercised over fire from own troops to avoid casualties among the hostages. Suitably deploy snipers to take out the terrorist(s) without any harm to the hostages. There is need to provide regular, consistent and clear information to the media and local residents to prevent the spread of misinformation/confusion.

We have now been combating terrorism for over two decades and yet do not have a viable and dependable intelligence system. A sound and reliable method of engaging terrorists and handling hostage situations is yet to be worked out. An acceptable and workable command and control set-up for a situation where a multitude of forces are deployed continues to be missing.

Lt Gen Harwant Singh (Retd)
Read complete article: Glaring intelligence failure Mumbai attack shows meticulous planning
More reading: End blame-game: Needed better intelligence-security coordination

Loss of Delhi's Top Terror Fighter: Nation Mourns

Light a candle for MC Sharma who gave his life to safeguard citizens
DELHI: At a time when most fathers would have stayed beside their sick son's hospital bed, tend to his blood transfusion and ensure that the dengue died down, Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma rushed to Jamia Nagar from the hospital to raid a house where terrorists were holed up. He hadn't gone home for three days, rushing from office to hospital and back and his wife expected him to return on Friday evening finally. But home they brought the warrior dead.

Sharma (42) was undoubtedly Delhi Police's top shot terror fighter, after ACP Rajbir Singh had been murdered a few months back. But he was no gunslinger. His forte was his technical expertise and his surveillance prowess was unmatched in the force.
Nation mourns gallant cop M C Sharma

Supreme Court directs flak at errant babus and cops

New Delhi, August 8
“In this country you need huntering (flogging) to make you work,” the Supreme Court today said while venting its anger on babus and top police officials for their failure to respond on an issue related to punishing errant cops who refuse to register FIRs on public complaints.

“Is this Ramrajya in this country...So this is swaraj. This is the concept of swaraj,” said a bench of Justices B.N. Agrawal and G.S. Singhvi, while lamenting the attitude of the top bureaucrats and the frequent complaints of citizens that policemen do not register FIRs promptly.
SC directs flak at errant cops, babus
Babus, top cops invite SC ire – ‘You need flogging to make you work’

Babu's as Cops: Bureaucrats occupying seats of power in MOD are akin to the cops who do not take cognizance of the Ex- Servicemen woes. The Pay Commission anomalies are synonymous to Babu's emptying the pockets of the Defence Forces Personnel. The Armed Forces have been reduced to a force without teeth.

Law enforcers become law breakers

When cops turn into killers. Suspended Inspector General of Police R.K. Sharma has earned the dubious distinction of becoming arguably the first IPS officer in India convicted of murder. He has been held guilty of hatching a conspiracy to murder Shivani, a newspaper correspondent, who had allegedly developed intimate relationship with him and was threatening to expose him.

How Georgia Tamed the Police
Mr Saakashvili's most eye-catching change has been to streamline the interior ministry. More than half the country's police officers have been fired and interior troops transferred to the defence ministry.

"Traffic police paid $2,000-$5,000 to get a job," says Irakli Okruashvili, the new interior minister. "Then they gave a percentage of the bribes they received to their bosses and used some to buy uniforms and cars. The system was self- financing. No one considered it corruption. It was a tradition."

The new anti-corruption measures aim to be self-financing, with the money saved from staff cuts used to increase salaries five-fold to $200 a month. Mr Okruashvili estimates this is more than the previous "take-home bribe" after "taxes" had been paid to superiors.

The new generation of traffic police is forbidden to carry more than $5 in cash. Plainclothes inspectors frisk them periodically to ensure they have not demanded money from innocent citizens. A dozen have been fired. Those left have received new uniforms and cars and now see the prospect of better career development. Public perception is changing, with a nightly television soap opera, called Patrol, launched to improve the image of the police.

It was one example of the corruption that permeated Georgia's police force and much of the rest of society, and that is being tackled by the youthful administration of President Mikheil Saakashvili, one year after the downfall of Eduard Shevardnadze, his predecessor. Within span of 3 years the level of corruption in Georgia has been reduced so much so it has a 10% GDP rate compared to almost nil five years back!

Pronounced Guilty, Tribune
Georgia Police Reforms

Comments: There is urgent need to overhaul the recruitment systems in the states. Bribes are paid for recruitment to Police which is supervised by IPS Officers. Corruption can be reduced if ESM (PBOR) are recruited who are already trained, physically more robust and disciplined. The Georgia Model is an eye opener. Maybe our GDP can grow at 20% if corruption is reduced/ controlled starting from the Police and moving upwards.