The UN-Protected Monument

Last year8217;s Mecca Masjid blast killed 14 persons, but Hyderabad has not learnt its lesson. The police station in the communally sensitive Charminar area continues to be under-staffed, under-equipped

With 16,988 people per sq km, it is the most densely populated area of Hyderabad and its crowded streets and narrow lanes make it a soft target for terror attacks. Charminar is also one of the most communally sensitive areas in the city, with the police identifying 11 hypersensitive spots here.

Considering its vulnerability, the area requires round-the-clock patrolling and vigil, not only barbed wire fencing. But there8217;s just one security guard stationed near the monument. Since it8217;s too crowded for police vehicles to drive around, foot patrolling is a necessity.

The police station here has a sanctioned strength of 157 personnel, but has 106. 8220;Why should I make public the strengths and weaknesses of my police station? It enervates my position. Yes, we have insufficient staff, but we are doing what we can,8221; says Charminar police station Inspector Karan Kumar Singh.

Against the sanctioned strength of 55 constables there are 38, eight sub-inspectors out of the 12 sanctioned, 10 head constables out of 25 and 50 special police officers SPOs out of 65. Besides, there are 10 Home Guards.

Singh is in a difficult situation: if he deploys all his men on anti-sabotage patrolling, he will have only a few men left to take care of routine crime cases and other duties. Besides the inspector8217;s jeep, there are four patrol vehicles and four motorcycles available for the officers.

For 24-hour foot patrolling, the police station requires more sub-inspectors and SPOs. Of the present strength of eight sub-inspectors, five patrol on foot, accompanied by 10 SPOs, while the other three take care of regular cases. Given more SPOs, Singh says he would increase the size of his foot patrolling team.

He had just finished debriefing a mufti, a cop in plainclothes, when a head constable walked in, complaining that some policemen were reluctant to go on foot patrol. They had just returned an hour ago and were unwilling to go out again. Concealing his irritation and anger, Singh asked the head constable to give a strict warning and report the names of cops who disobey orders. The matter was settled, but only for the moment.

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8220;The men are working round the clock. They are tired. I don8217;t know when fresh recruitments will take place and when our staff will be augmented,8221; he says as he scrutinises half-a-dozen applications from small religious groups and political parties to take out processions or hold public meetings.

Apart from the Charminar, there are at least five other sensitive spots in the city where a small force has to be deployed round the clock. These include the Mahalakshmi temple and the Mecca Masjid, where a bomb blast on May 18 last year killed 14. 8220;I cannot withdraw sub-inspectors on duty there even if urgently required,8221; says Singh. The South Zone, under which Charminar falls, has one bomb disposal squad and four special squads that can be deployed anywhere in the city.

The inspector has a chamber that is good enough for him but not enough to hold even a small meeting with his subordinates. A number of constables and cops in plainclothes walk in and out of the police station. But there are hardly enough chairs for them.