Swinging into action after Chief Minister Raghubar Das’ diktat, the State police have withdrawn the bodyguards provided to various private persons with immediate effect along with the house guards deployed at the residences of former Ministers. The Government, however, is yet to review the ‘unnecessary’ bodyguards and house guards deployed at the residence of bureaucrats and IPS officers. There are cases in which half a dozen policemen remain deployed at the residence of IAS/IPS officers round-the-clock even if they are posted outside Ranchi.
However, in order to regularize the process of providing bodyguards to VIPs, the police department was working on the process of preparing a database making the district security committee accountable to provide bodyguards to deserving ones, without prior approval from the Crime Investigation Department (CID).
The Chief Minister, during a high-level meeting on Tuesday, had taken a strong note of the huge number of policemen serving the VIPs as bodyguards and house guards, and ordered to remove them immediately and ensure that they are put to regular policing. “Bodyguards of private persons have totally been closed immediately. They have been asked to go to the district security committee comprising the SP, DC and DSP (Special Branch) which will take up the matter and make recommendations for those who really need that,” said ADG (Special Branch) Rezi Dung Dung.
“The escort parties given to the former Ministers have already been closed. Now their house guards have also been removed from their residences,” added Dung Dung. To streamline the process of providing bodyguards to the VIPs according to the rulebook, the State police are also working on the process of preparing a date base with the police headquarters, enabling them to keep a tab on the those who are being given bodyguards.
“As there was no clear policy in this regard, body security of those close to the DC or SP of the district could be easily enhanced. Now, after the data base is prepared, it will not be easy for the DC or SP to provide security at his/her will. They will be held responsible for providing bodyguard to any unwanted person,” said ADG (CID) SN Pradhan.