M A I N   N E W S

Wait & watch policy pays off for police
Pradeep Sharma
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 19
The Haryana Police adopted a carrot and stick approach while executing the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to arrest Rampal from his Satlok Ashram in Barwala.

Though senior police officers refused to divulge the details of the “operational strategy”, which was recently submitted to the Punjab and Haryana HC, sources said the main focus was to save the lives of thousands of innocent persons who were virtually held hostages by Rampal’s armed “private army”.

“We worked with the twin objective of saving innocent lives and arresting Rampal,” Haryana Director General of Police GP SN Vashisht said today.

The job had become all the more difficult as Rampal used his followers, including women and children, as “human shield” and his “private army” used firearms, crude bombs and acid. “By exercising restraint, we were able to avoid the prospects of large-scale casualties,” a senior officer said. A senior police officer of the Hisar Range said the police worked with one hand tied behind its back as the operation was being telecast live and any police misadventure would have boomeranged on the state government.

Operation in numbers

30,000 policemen, including paramilitary personnel, in action

400 police vehicles used

300 roadways buses ferry followers, police personnel

100 Vajra vehicles | 40 bullet-proof vehicles used

40 ambulances | 30 JCBs | 20 PCRs | 25 tractor trailers on the job