Opinion A Special Cell that shoots from the hip
The Delhi Polices Special Cell has yet again come under criticism for ostensibly jumping the gun after a counter-terror operation in the national capital
The Delhi Police’s Special Cell has yet again come under criticism for ostensibly jumping the gun after a counter-terror operation in the national capital. This time it was over the arrest of Syed Liyaqat Ali Shah. While they claim he is a Hizbul Mujahideen operative planning a “fidayeen attack” in Delhi,the Jammu and Kashmir Police have said he is a former militant who was returning from Pakistan occupied Kashmir under the state government’s rehabilitation policy.
While the matter is to go to the NIA to settle,the episode has underlined the Delhi Police Special Cell’s remarkable knack of making at least one spectacular arrest before a major festival. If Shah’s arrest on March 19 came just days before Holi,prior to Diwali last year,the unit had announced arrest of three members of the Indian Mujahideen,suspected of carrying out blasts in Pune in 2010.
Senior Delhi Police officials say they were aware that Shah was in contact with the J&K Police. Experts argue that a verification of his status in the rehabiliation policy would not have been difficult to cross-check.
A gaffe in the Special Cell’s post-operation press conference did not help either. A senior police officer said that a meeting of the United Jihad Council was held in January to avenge Afzal Guru’s hanging. When pointed out that Guru was hanged only in February,Special Commissioner (Special Cell) S N Srivastava corrected himself and claimed that the meeting was to observe January 26 as a ‘black day’.
Even if one gives the Special Cell the benefit of doubt for busting the “18th module of Hizbul Mujahideen” along with arrests of IM men,their track record in court leaves much to be desired. From the journalist held in the Israel Embassy car attack case to the arrest of “the head of an aerial module” of the IM in connection with the 2008 Delhi blasts,its cases in court have fallen through.
As the claims of Shah being an HM operative ring increasingly hollow,it doesn’t appear the elite unit — which enjoys wide freedom and patronage — is in any hurry to change its ways. While dealing with counter-terrorism,the Special Cell has argued,it is better to err on the side of caution. If only they had shown the same caution before going to town with Shah’s arrest.
Apurva is a principal correspondent based in Delhi
vn.apurva@expressindia.com
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