M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, April 9: Drones will make several trips to air in the Palamu police range, said deputy inspector general of police Palamu RK Lakra.
The DIG said Latehar has managed one while he has to find out if Garhwa has also got any drone. Latehar, Garhwa and Palamu districts come under the police range here.
According to Palamu SP Chandan Kumar Sinha, the police here have arranged 3 drones and it is in the air. The drones will fly over sensitive pockets to keep an eye on the gathering in the streets and alleys.
On being asked if CRPF would be deployed in the management of the Ram Navami, Palamu DIG Lakra said, “No. Not at all. The CRPF is here in the range to take on the Naxals. It can’t be drawn to the management of law and order.”
Again asked that CRPF can be engaged just to assist the overburdened police to which Lakra said, “Our police in all the 3 districts of this range are well capable of dealing with the situation and we will do it successfully and peacefully.”
Reminded that response time of the police to any eventuality leaves much to be desired all for its becoming late to which the DIG police said, “I have asked my officers and others to maintain a high level of response time. There should not be any delay in handling the situation.”
The DIG police agreed that even a minute’s delay can upset the outcome and in a situation like this when a huge gathering of people will be in the street, our response time has to be flawless.
Asked if any senior police officer of the rank of the Inspector General of police or the rank of the Additional Director General of Police has been sent to Palamu like that of Hazaribagh where Additional Director General of Police Murari Lal Meena is camping, Palamu DIG police said, “We are going all by ourselves under the supervision of the higher-ups of the police headquarter Ranchi. Our officers and boys know their jobs well. We have been fine-tuning them quite frequently.”
“Our mantra is to use that much force which is required. Any use of military dose is to be done with care and caution,” he added.
He further said, “We do come across drunk men in the street, right. Do we need to deal with them with too heavy a hand? No. There are many other ways to handle them.”
Lakra used this simile to draw his point of how the police in 3 districts will be managing the crowd. He declined to give any elaboration.
About water cannons, he said that the 3 districts have them and there is no problem with them.
