Give a minute of your time to make Mumbai safer, urges RR Patil

Maharashtra home minister RR Patil on Monday announced the Mumbai Police’s Mumbai Ke Liye 1 Minute (One Minute for Mumbai) campaign. The government and police have urged Mumbaikars to spend at least one minute in keeping an eye on suspicious elements and goods and help them in their fight against terrorism.

Under this campaign, the police will distribute 5 lakh pamphlets and 1,000 plastic banners carrying slogans in malls, colleges and public places. Five short films pertaining to this topic will also be distributed for viewing at cinema halls and hotels. The campaign will continue for the next two years. The police have also got a cheque of Rs1.5 crore from ICICI Bank for this campaign.

ICICI Bank executive director K Ramkumar said, “What the corporate world earns from the society, it should give back to it.”

Police commissioner Dr Satyapal Singh said, “The work of Mumbai Police is like that of a goalkeeper. Nobody keeps in mind how many crimes have been prevented by the police, but if there’s one crime committed, then we are under fire.”

While urging citizens to be alert about the suspicious things in their vicinity, the commissioner also gave example of the German Bakery blast case. “The bag containing explosives was lying unattended for 86 minutes at the bakery. Our officers had already intimated the bakery staff to remain alert as foreigners frequent the place. The waiter had even seen the bag and had alerted his superior but nobody took it seriously. That blast claimed 17 lives,” Singh said.

Patil said providing security to citizens is his responsibility and, at the same time, asked citizens to join the police by giving one minute of theirs in the fight against terror. “In order to make this campaign reach every house, I will ensure the government provides the necessary assistance,” he said.

He also spoke about other important issues in the state. On Dr Narendra Dabholkar’s murder, he said, “People are demanding a CBI investigation into the case. Local police have the expertise to solve the case and the crime branch and ATS are assisting them.

Centre, too, is providing the necessary help. The special team that has been formed to probe the case has not been given any other duty. Due time should be given to the agency for the investigation.”

Asked whether the government would reinvestigate the German Bakery blast case, in which Himayat Baig was arrested and convicted and, recently, Indian Mujahideen operative claimed Baig had no role in it, Patil said, “We don’t feel the need to reinvestigate any case in which crime has been proven in court and the court has convicted the accused.”

He also said the committee formed to look into the ambitious CCTV project to cover the city will take its decision soon.