Remembering 26/11: We now have the funds to train and equip our police, says Deven Bharti

Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Deven Bharti was among those who not only was actively involved in tackling the 26/11 terrorist attack while being posted with Mumbai Crime Branch, and also one of the officers who supervised the entire case. Nine years after the massacre, Bharti, who now holds the post of Joint Commissioner of Police (Law & Order) in Mumbai, speaks to DNA's Somendra Sharma on his experience in handling the case.

Mumbai Police had faced a tough time tackling terrorists in 2008, do you think we are better prepared after nine years?

That time we were very ill-equipped as far as logistics, weaponry, and training is concerned. After 26/11, there has been a paradigm shift. You may treat 26/11 as a watershed as far as security apparatus and its preparedness is concerned. Policy makers also realised that investment in policing and preparing police because they are first responders is the only option. For that we have got enough funds to equip and train ourselves and to create required infrastructure.

Do you feel we have enough evidence to nail Zaki Ur Rehman Lakhvi and Hafiz Saeed?

Of course. We have submitted a charge sheet and it is on that basis the court has pronounced them wanted accused. We have enough technical and corroborative evidence admissible in a court of law. If they are tried in a Mumbai court of law then we will get highest quantum of punishment for them.

Do foreign agencies still come and meet you for experiences about 26/11?

26/11 type of attack has never happened anywhere in the world before. A lot of countries came and learnt as to how the attack unfolded and everybody including major police forces in the world revised their SOPs after this attack after interacting with us.

In 2008, the control room was flooded with calls. To what extent have you have upgraded the control room system?

We are in the process of setting up one of the most technologically advanced control rooms in the world. We cannot disclose the details about it at this juncture.