MUMBAI: In yet another development in to the controversial bulletproof jacket issue involving slain Anti-Terrorist Squad chief Hemant Karkare, the Maharashtra government has issued notices to eight senior police officers demanding clarification into the missing file pertaining to the purchase of vests. The officers are expected to reply within a month.
The file relating to the purchase of bulletproof jackets for Mumbai police was reported lost and surprisingly resurfaced recently with a few pages missing, said a police official.
The issue of the missing file was raised following a public interest litigation filed by social activist Santosh Daundkar in the Bombay High Court, alleging irregularity in the purchase of substandard bulletproof vests for the police, which led to the death of three senior officers in the 26/11 terror strikes.
According to the contents of the litigation filed by Daundkar, he alleged that sub-standard bulletproof jackets were brought from NTB Hi-Tech Ceramics, which does not produce specialized nylon-based armor for bulletproof jackets but industrial ceramics. The first batch of jackets sent by NTB was returned since they did not meet specifications. By December 2004, NTB resupplied the jackets that were then used during the last November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Notices have been issued to state’s principal secretary seeking explanation as to how the file relating to purchase of jackets for the force between 2002 and 2004 had gone missing.
On Friday evening, Home minister R.R. Patil told journalists that notices have been served to eight police officers seeking explanation as to how the file relating to purchase of jackets had gone missing.
“They have been asked to give clarification in this regard within a month,” Patil said.
But on Saturday Patil further clarified about the “misunderstanding” on the notice issued to the eight senior IPS officers stating: “We have only sought explanation from the IPS officers where were associated with the bulletproof jackets in a supervisory capacity. These are not ‘show cause notices’ because they are issued if an official is prima facie found to have violated rules. We have just asked them to explain their roles,” he added.
