19 July,2011 06:47 AM IST | | Shiva Devnath
Overzealous police commissioner asks cops of all ranks from all 86 police stations to send updates to his office every two hours
After reports that the police ignored reports of an impending bomb blast shocked citizens, the Mumbai police commissioner appears busy devising the most unrealisable strategies.
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According to an official circular issued by Police Commissioner
Arup Patnaik higher ups are to be briefed regularly about the
location of the beat marshals
Reports say that he has issued an official circular, in which he has instructed that his office be given updates, on even the most seemingly innocuous bits of information, from cops of all levels, every two hours.
The proposition, no matter how commendable, is impracticable and overzealous, to say the least.
This injunction came in the wake of reports that a resident of Kurla had overheard fouru00a0 men, discussing placement of bombs prior to Wednesday's tragedy, and brought to the police's notice. But the constable was too apathetic to report the matter to his seniors.
Arup Patnaik, commissioner of Mumbai police, has reportedly issued this strict injunction to all 86 police stations across the city, instructing them to report every piece of information that they receive.
According to this circular, all information received via landlines of the station houses, as well as wireless messages received by cops, are to be reported to the 20-25 officers manning the control room, at intervals of two hours. Higher ups are also to be briefed regularly about the location of the beat marshals.
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"We have been asked to report all wireless messages to the commissioner's office every two hours from the spot that we are patrolling.
Even if it is a random piece of information, we must report it, keeping our superiors abreast of the goings on at the location where we are posted," said a police officer from the Kandivli police station.
A senior police official revealed that even the policemen of beat marshal level, or those manning PCR vans, have received orders to send these updates.
He said, "We were asked to issue instructions that all cops on field duty submit a status report of the public places in the area they are inspecting, including malls, markets, theatres, sea faces.
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If any mishap takes place in spite of their vigil, the cops posted at the location will be held accountable, and will have to take responsibility for their negligence."
The city is on high alert, after the blasts killed 19 people and injured nearly 200.
