Police to beef up informer network

Mukhbhirs were gifted smart phones with paid bills

Good days are ahead for informers as the city police has decided to strengthen their network.

Most of the informers have a tainted past and are used to sniff out information on terror links, communal riots, property disputes and criminal gangs.

For doing this, they arepaid ‘nazrana’ (gift) from the police. Acknowledging their role in cracking important cases, the police has gifted them smart phones with paid bills.

The smarter among them are working for a monthly salary. Senior officers, including station house officers, detective inspectors and heads of specialised teams, are often their paymasters.

“It all depends on the relationship the official has with the informant. A few officers pay for the educational expenses of informers’ children,” said an ACP working with the city police.

Armed with the `75,000grant from the commissionerate, the police has decided to strengthen the local information network. “The money is used for the purpose it is accounted for. Senior officials have a separate secret fund to gather intelligence inputs from various sources,” said a police official.

“In some cases, we send photos and details to inoformers and based on their feedback, we plan the future course of action,” said a senior police official. To better equip the network of informers’, the police is also banking on technology.