After SC’s rap, Centre says may cut down VIP security

Facing flak from the Supreme Court, the Centre Friday said it could, depending on threat perception, scale down security to VIPs but made it clear it did not provide unnecessary protection.

The police make assessment of security needs depending on threat perception, MoS for Home R P N Singh said. "If there is more security than required, then it needs to be scaled down. If there is excess, it should be reviewed and scaled down. But there is no unnecessary security," he said.

Singh recalled that there have been assassination attempts when security was removed from some individuals.

The home ministry also clarified that the court had not ordered it to scale down security of VIPs. "They have just made an observation," said an official in the ministry.

The SC had on Thursday said that too many police personnel were guarding VIPs and some of them could be deployed for better purposes like making the capital safe for women.

The court had questioned why so many people were provided security and noted that even judges would not have a problem if their guards were deployed on the streets.

10,000 Bihar cops for VIP security

PATNA: The Bihar Police has deployed over 10,000 policemen for providing security to more than 3,200 VIPs. The force has a strength of about 87,000 personnel. Following Supreme Court instructions to states to file affidavits on policemen engaged in VIP security, Bihar Police spokesperson Additional Director General of Police Ravindra Kumar told The Indian Express: "We have already filed an affidavit on the matter. We are getting details from the field to calculate the exact number of policemen engaged in VIP security."

MP gives in, suspends tainted forest officer

Facing criticism that it had gone soft on B K Singh as he was close to a top BJP leader, the Madhya Pradesh government Friday suspended the forest conservator.

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