Pradhan panel slams Gafoor; State rejects findings

Mumbai,Jun 16 (PTI) In a severe indictment of the then
Mumbai Police Commissioner Hasan Gafoor, a
government-appointed committee that probed the 26/11 terror
strikes has held that he failed to lead the force from the
front and that standard operating procedures were not followed
during the crisis situation.

The two-member Ram Pradhan Committee in its report said
there was "lack of coordinated and visible control" in the
police force.

It also did not spare the the DGP A N Roy when it said he
did not have any limitation in using his powers in Mumbai
during the attacks that left over 180 dead.

The Maharashtra government, which came under attack from
opposition in the assembly for not tabling the panel's report,
rejected its findings on Gafoor when it placed only the Action
Taken Report (ATR).

"During the whole operation, he was stationed at only one
location near Hotel Trident. There was lack of co-ordinated
and visible control due to which a message went to the public
that police were ineffective in handling the situation," the
Pradhan committee report said.

The ATR tabled in the state Legislature questioned how
the committee called the head of Mumbai police a failure when
it, in its report, had lauded the entire force for handling of
the 26/11 attacks.

Gafoor, who was last week removed as the Police
Commissioner, had "failed" to lead the force during the
strikes last November, the report said. He has been shifted
to a low profile post as Director General of Police (Housing).

Standard procedures were not followed during the crisis
situation, the report excerpts of which were mentioned in the
ATR, said.

According to the procedure, Joint Commissioner of Police
(Law and Order) heads the disaster management cell and
co-ordinates with all the control rooms. Joint CP (Crime) will
co-ordinate with the ATS chief.

"The procedure was not followed on 26/11. Instead, Gafoor
asked Joint CP (Crime) to co-ordinate the control room. Joint
CP (Law and Order) would have been better placed to take
decisions regarding deployment of police officials at
different places," the Committee said.

It said senior police officials told them that the
Commissioner did not guide them or inquire about the ongoing
operations.

Even though Gafoor contacted officers on wireless or
mobile phone, there was never a feeling among them that they
were part of a united force, officers told the committee.

The report said it was essential for Gafoor to have taken
charge of the control room as this would have avoided
duplication of efforts on the part of various police units.
PTI MR
SCY
NNNN