Director General of the elite National Security Guard (NSG) Sudeep Lakhtakia told The Hindu that post 26/11, the force has inducted state-of-the-art technology and improved communication and surveillance capabilities.
“The induction of personnel from the Army and central police forces is being done using psychological tests. NSG Canine unit is more versatile – besides support and bomb detection; the dogs are trained to assault terrorists,” he said.
The NSG and the Mumbai police have been criticised for lapses during the terror attacks. The Ram Pradhan Commission that probed police lapses during the attack, noted that the pistol of Mumbai police officer Sadanand Date, who took on LeT terrorist Ajmal Kasab at Cama Hospital “did not fire.”
The Ram Pradhan Commission that probed the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks submitted its report to then Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan in May 2009.
On November 26, ten Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives from Pakistan had arrived set sail to carry out a terrorist attack in Mumbai that claimed 166 lives.
Vappala Balachandran, former special secretary, Cabinet Secretariat and the co-author of the report said there were several other lapses on part of the Mumbai police, the first responders to the attack.
The details of the report, accessed by The Hindu, said, “the pistol used by Sadanand Date, Additional Commissioner of Police, Central Region did not fire when he was confronting the terrorists on sixth floor of the Cama hospital. He was facing certain death but perhaps escaped as the terrorists thought he was dead.”
Mr. Date was injured in the terrorist attack as Kasab and his accomplice — Abu Ismail threw grenades at the police team. The terrorists had AK-47 guns on them. Splinters hit Mr. Date’s eyes. The decorated poloce officer is currently on deputation to the Centre.
Not enough ammunition
Former Maharashtra DGP A.N Roy told the commission that the policemen did not have enough ammunition for “firing practice.”
“The Commission is informed by the Maharashtra DGP that the police needs ₹65 crore worth of ammunition every year, in case each policeman has to fire mandatory 40 rounds each year. For last five years we are getting only ₹33 crore. The available ammunition is required to be allotted in naxal affected areas and for special commandos etc. No ammunition for firing practice was available,” para 3.87 of the report said.
Mr. Balachandran said the Commission was not provided any office space by the State government and that he had typed the report at home.
He said the mandate of the Commission was to only look into the role of the State police; the operations conducted by National Security Guard (NSG), a central force, were beyond its mandate.
NSG that took over the operations around 8 a.m. on November 27, 12-hours after the terrorist attack, were also criticised for the delay.
