The panel, which convenes occasionally to determine the protection given to VIPs, was reassessing the potential threats against these personalities.

It also removed the police cover provided to the son and daughter of the suspended Indian Premier League (IPL) commissioner Lalit Modi.

According to sources, the panel, while scrutinizing the list of people who have been granted police security, found that many were unnecessarily given protection on a very high scale without any valid reasons.

This prompted a panel member to question what need there was to provide security to Modi’s children and said that he should make his own arrangements for them.

Famous Bollywood singer Himesh Reshamiya is also among those who will receive reduced security.

Security was minimized for Ravi Kamat and Ravi Shendge, the two personal assistants of Revenue Minister Narayan Rane, and Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray's personal assistant Ravindra Mhatre.

Rahul Mahajan, the son of the late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan and nephew of senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde, was also among those affected by the panel’s decision.

Surprisingly, security has been retained for two real estate developers who are informants and provide police with the names of other developers who have alleged links to the underworld. It was revealed that security continues to be provided to the two men due to political intervention.

It has also emerged that security would continue to be provided to some present and former bureaucrats and police officers.

According to information given by police sources, the taxpayer pays 17,000 Indian rupees each month for each policeman assigned to provide security to celebrities and other personalities.

Some police officers had objected to the security given to certain people at a time when there is acute shortage of police personnel in Mumbai and had voiced their concerns to the state government.

Some VIPs whose protection cover has been removed are pleading that their security be maintained on a permanent basis as they anticipate threats to their lives, while some allegedly lodged fake complaints of threats from criminals.

The panel has turned down their pleas, said police officials who were speaking anonymously.