State Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief K P Raghuvanshi has given his officials a clear brief: “Learn to be the Jack of all trades — in intelligence, interrogation and technical and cyber investigations. After 26/11, the expectations of society have increased and so has our responsibility.”

The ATS is revamping itself, the overhaul coming at a time when the Pradhan Committee report on 26/11 has laid bare the ambiguity in the unit’s role and briefing protocol. The process includes the appointment of a dedicated DCP (Intelligence) and a shift of the agency’s headquarters to a more strategic location in south Mumbai.

Raghuvanshi was also the first ATS chief and in temporary charge of the unit since 26/11. He has now taken over as Additional DGP (ATS) after the post of ATS chief was upgraded to that rank. He said he had held his first review meeting and given his officers the brief.

The state took over six months to appoint a new ATS chief after the death of Hemant Karkare, though the High Court had given a deadline of four weeks. Raghuvanshi took charge on Monday, the same day when the state tabled the action-to-be-taken report.

He would not comment on the ATR and the Pradhan Committee report but said the role of the ATS as a squad to probe terrorism has always been clear. Even the 26/11 probe would have been with the ATS had Hemant Karkare been alive,” he said.

“Our challenge now is to make the probe apparatus more effective to deal with that kind of challenge in the future, to strengthen our human intelligence, technical intelligence and investigation and interrogation capabilities and to increase people’s co-operation.”

... contd.