New Delhi, November 19
It seems that the martyrdom of brave and valiant police officers like Hemant Karkare and Ashok Kamte, who died due to ‘defective’ bulletproof jackets, is yet to teach the Ministry of Home Affairs any lessons. As 26/11 approaches, bulletproof jackets, which have failed technical trials specified by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD), are on the verge of being purchased.
Sources revealed that the tender had specified 360 degree protection of four-side bulletproof jackets which are lightweight and capable of countering ammunition heavier than an AK-47. This was being done in view of the Maoist threat as well as the terror threat that the forces have to counter. Fourteen models were submitted by 10 companies, most of them international arms dealers, for an estimated cost of Rs 150 crore.
Documents reveal that all 14 models failed the technical test. However, instead of calling for fresh trials under the new guidelines, the MHA is still considering the jackets, which could be substandard. Says a senior official: “We have lost our brave officials and yet these babus don’t care. This is almost a repeat of the coffin scam.”
Consider the following facts:
(1) A decision was made to acquire the jackets after 26/11 revealed the woeful inadequacies faced by the central forces.
(2) Combat gear was specified because of the sophisticated level of threat faced by the forces. Says a police official, who was a colleague of Kamte: “I think the government wants us to face terrorists with a lathi. Kamte would have been alive today but for his substandard gear. It’s a tragedy that human life has no value in our country.”
Despite repeated attempts by the Tribune, no official in the MHA was prepared to comment on the matter officially. A senior official, who did not want to be quoted, said: “We know this is a nettle and we do not want to grasp. It is lucky for me that I am not handling it. It is what we call a sure shot CBI case.”
