8230; while SRPF awaits bullet-proof jackets

8220;The jackets were only given to those who were sent inside the Taj and Oberoi hotels,8217;8217;he said. Senior police officers said that they were just carrying .9 mm pistols and 303 rifles and no bullet proof jackets.

Recalling their encounter with the terrorists, Kolhe and Jadhav said, 8220;It was about 10 pm when our platoon was summoned at the Oberoi hotel and at BMC. Just as we were taking positions at Oberoi, the terrorists threw a bomb at us, injuring us. Our seniors rushed us to the hospital.8217;8217;

Another senior officer said though the force was set up to tackle internal security, that they were short of equipment.

8220;It was a sudden attack and in spite of being a wing of the special armed police force of the state we had to depend on marine commandos and the National Security Guard NSG. We should be well equipped to take tackle such situation,8217;8217; he said.

Presently SRPF has 13 groups, two in Pune, two in Daund, two in Mumbai, one in Solapur, Hingoli, Nagpur, Jalna, Dhule, Gadchiroli and Amravati.