26/11: The fine prints of Pradhan Committee report

The Pradhan Committee, which inquired into the lapses in the 26/11 attacks, has some harsh words for Mumbai Police Commissioner Hasan Gafoor. In its report, the committee said that Gafoor should have taken command on 26/11 or at least appeared to have take command.

Last week, NDTV broke the story on the broad contents of the report, but now we have exclusive access to details in the report.

According to government sources, the report says that Gafoor stationed himself outside the Trident and gave instructions from there. He did not take charge of the control room to avoid duplication of efforts by different police teams and went against the standard operating procedure laid down to deal with a terror strike.

As per rules, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and order) K L Prasad, who is in charge of all police stations in the city, should have been in the Control Room as he would have been quicker at sending troops to different sites. Instead, Gafoor asked Joint Police Commissioner (Crime) Rakesh Maria to take over.

In fact, the Pradhan Committee has slammed the entire police leadership for not following emergency systems. It asks: What is the point of a standard operating procedure if it is not followed?

Yet the report praises the overall response of the police force

Neither the Police Commissioner nor the state government want to comment on the report, which is yet to be tabled in the state assembly. But once it is, the state will come under pressure to act on its findings especially since India's commercial capital cannot afford to not have the best force.