DELHI POLICE DOES NOT HAVE ANY BULLETPROOF HELMETS

proof helmet, but apparently he lifted it to receive a call on his cellphone, and it was at this moment that a bullet hit his head.

“This is quite shocking,” said Anil Sood, president of the NGO Chetna, who filed the RTI petition. “God forbid, if anything like the Mumbai attack happens in Delhi, half of the police force may be lost while collecting bullet-proof jackets from different police stations. Ideally, these should be kept at one point so that they may be collected easily in emergency situations. Moreover, in the absence of helmets, it will be very difficult to carry out operations. Our forces will bear the brunt of such an attack.”

Similar observations were made following the death of Delhi Police inspector Mohan Chand Sharma in the 2008 Batla House encounter. The inspector did not wear a bullet-proof jacket. A judge hearing the case asked whether the incident was a misadventure or lack of professionalism.

Sood also questions the preparedness of the Quick Response Teams. “They may not even be in a position to move, as their vehicles and drivers are outsourced. Many of the team members are deployed with nothing but batons. There is an urgent need to modernise the police force, which would also boost their morale. Instead of providing on-thejob training, personnel must undergo rigorous training before taking up an assignment or role,” he said, adding he has written to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in this regard.