Post 26/11,cops undergo specialised training

Greene has visited the city on Gafoor’s insistence earlier also and conducted workshops with several batches of police personnel including the Quick Response Team of the Anti-Terrorism Squad. “This is the fourth time we are conducting such a programme. In fact,the last one was organised in November last year by Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok Kamte himself,” Gafoor said. (Kamte was later killed in the 26/11 terrorist attacks).

Additional Commissioner of Police (Local Arms Unit) R E Pawar,who had organised the workshop on Gafoor’s directive,said that young,enterprising and enthusiastic personnel were chosen from police stations across the city to participate in the programme. They underwent training in two batches in sessions held on January 6 and 8. “The need of the hour is to equip our young policemen with skills to combat any situation whenever it arises. The training involved firing practice with AK-47s and tips on how to aim at the target accurately by using the M Point. Besides,they were given pointers on how to conduct nakabandis and search operations. The idea was to train them on how to protect themselves first and then go on to neutralise the target,” Pawar said.

“It was similar to a refresher course. But in the backdrop of the recent terror attacks,its significance is immense. We underwent training in field combat which ranged from skills relating to day-to-day operations to those which would be useful during something as serious as a terror strike,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police,Zone VII,Rajkumar Whatkar,who participated in the programme.