Countering terror: Mumbai after 26/11

On the night of November 26, 2008, when ten Pakistani gunmen with military training inflicted mayhem on Mumbai, catching the city police unawares, the situation called for drafting of specialised forces like the Marine Commandos and National Security Guards (NSG) to fight the terrorists. 

The Maharashtra government’s assessment predictably revealed that the police were not equipped to deal with such a situation. This was followed by a series of high-level meetings aimed at strengthen the police force.

Some of the areas where the city police had fallen short were porous coastal security, advanced weaponry, and a cadre of specialised personnel to tackle such a war-like situation.

The Ram Pradhan Committee that was set up to assess the loopholes in the security system in the state had recommended that there was a need for better coordination and sharing of intelligence between the state police, Navy, Coast Guard and central government agencies. There is a Joint Coordination Centre (JOC) which is aimed at better coordination between Marine Unit of city police, Coast Guard, and Navy. Ajmal Kasab and his associates had entered Mumbai through the sea route, exposing the state of our coastal security. Mumbai police had then introduced their dedicated Marine Unit, which would coordinate with Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy to secure Indian waters. The police had also purchased Sealegs, which are amphibious patrol boats, and speed boats. 

The Pakistani terrorists had conducted burst firing using their AK 47 rifles and had lobbed hand grenades at the places they attacked. To counter such a situation, the city police ordered hi-tech machinery and is now equipped with advanced weapons like anti-materiel guns and MP5 sub-machine guns among others. In a bid to secure Mumbai, the police had also proposed to cover the city through the installation of CCTV cameras. A team of officers from the state government and city police had visited London to study how the city’s CCTV control room functions.

The city police has also raised special forces for combat situations like 26/11. After 26/11, the Centre had set up a base of the NSG in Mumbai. The Maharashtra Police created its own specialised agency known as Force One on the lines of NSG. The Mumbai Police also created the Quick Response Team and Response 10. Senior police officials say these forces are armed to the teeth and are trained to take on any battle-like situation. In a 26/11-like situation, Response 10 will first come into action. Police personnel in Response 10 are drawn from local police stations and are tasked to engage the terrorists till the QRT arrives. Then, if the situation goes out of control, Force One, and later NSG, will come into action.

“The Marine Unit, Response 10, QRT, Force One, hi-tech arms and bullet-proof vehicles that were bought after 26/11 remain fully operational. We still conduct mock drills and there are regular coordination meetings with agencies. We are better prepared now and are a changed force,” Director General of Police, Satish Mathur, told DNA. 

However, some issues pertaining to coastal security remain unresolved. While the amphibious Sealegs vehicles are lying unused in an irreparable state, the Sagar Kavach operation, which is conducted jointly by Mumbai Police, Coast Guard, and the Navy to check the preparedness of agencies to safeguard the coastline, has repeatedly revealed that dummy terrorists could manage to sneak into the city and gain access to vantage points.