No bullet-proof vests for GRP commandos in Bengal

On Tuesday, a desperate Superintendent of Government Railway Police GRP wrote an urgent letterto DIG modernisation state police, Pradip Kumar Sanyal, requesting him to provide 10 bullet-proof vests immediately for the contingent deployed at the station.

8220;As the commandos are not wearing any bullet-proof jacket, they will be the first victims in case of an attack by terrorists or anti-national elements. I request you to provide us with 10 bullet proof jackets immediately,8221; the letter from the SP said.

Following the terror attack in Mumbai, commandos of the state police have been deployed at four railway stations 8212; Howrah, Sealdah, Kharagpur and Siliguri 8212;- according to Dilip Mitra, Additional Director General, GRP.

But state police officers say commandos are supposed to wear bullet-proof vests. 8220;I don8217;t know whether those deployed at Howrah station are commandos from the state police. Maybe they are ex-commandos of the police,8221; Raj Kanojia, IG, law and order, state police, told The Indian Express. The IG said all measures are being taken to prevent any possible terrorist attack in the state.

The state government is also concerned about the security of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who is coming to the state on December 6 to attend the convocation of Visva-Bharati University. This is the first visit of the prime minister to any city since the terror attack in Mumbai.