Police intel dept to get internal security wing to tackle terror
CHANDIGARH: In a move to restructure its intelligence department, the Punjab Police has formed a separate ‘internal security wing’ to specifically focus on anti-terrorism operations.
Under this new administrative arrangement, three major wings of intelligence department, counter intelligence (CI), financial intelligence unit (FIU) and organised crime control unit (OCCU) will now be supervised by ADGP (internal security) — a new post created recently. 1993-batch IPS officer RN Dhoke was transferred to the post on September 9.
Earlier, the three wings (CI, FIU, OCCU) were headed by Ig-rank officers, used to be directly supervised by the intelligence chief.
“The idea is to add more cohesiveness in the function of these three wings. Punjab being a border state has different types of challenges which vary from time to time. Posting of the ADGP to supervise three wings has been done with an aim to give more focus on internal security matters and is part of the restructuring of our police force,” DGP Dinkar Gupta told Hindustan Times.
As per information, the restructuring of the Punjab Police has been undertaken as per the directions of Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh. The CM, it is learnt, is of the view that boder state like Punjab needed this to meet the challenges, especially in the wake of the recent developments in Jammu and Kashmir, following which Pakistan intensified its anti-india activities.
Creation of ‘internal security’ wing is part of that strategy only, it is learnt. The government has alredy constituted ‘police governance reforms’ team led by ADGP (Punjab Armed Police) Kuldeep Singh to suggest necessary structural changes.
A senior official said because of Pakistan’s continuous focus to create insurgency in Punjab and its efforts to give air to pro-khalistan movement using Sikh diaspora settled in foreign countries, Punjab’s challenge on its internal security issues has increased manifolds in recent times and need a more focused strategy.
“In past more than five years, Punjab has witnessed targeted killings and other terrorist attacks. Probes into targeted killings have revealed that gangsters of Punjab had also joined hands with extremists to kill socio-religious leaders. Under such circumstances, a strong need to synergise the internal communication among CI, FICU and OCCU was felt. Because the intelligence wing often remains overburdened due to issues arising out of in and outside the state, it was decided to specifically give this task to a senior officer,” a senior home department functionary said.
The special operations related to anti-terrorism and other antiinsurgency activities will be handled by this wing, it is learnt. Notably, Intelligence Bureau (IB), which comes under the Union home ministry, has a separate internal security wing that primarily deals with terror threats.
A few militancy-affected states,too, have separate ‘internal security’ wings. In 2008, Karnataka Police had set-up a fullfledged division to carry out antinaxal operations. Here, too, the wing is headed by a Adgp-rank officer.