Myanmar, Saudi Arabia and so on. Recently, they even bullet-proofed coaches for the North-Eastern Railway.

While the industry functions under a strict code of confidentiality, the firms admit that only those with deep pockets can afford bullet-proofing of vehicles.

“It costs anywhere between Rs 5 lakh to Rs 85 lakh to armour a car, depending on the type of vehicle. An Ambassdor will be bullet-proofed, or just given bullet-proof window panes as is done for most of the government sector, for Rs 5 lakh, but an armoured Scorpio could cost Rs 8 lakh and a Montero over Rs 18 lakh,” adds Laggar’s director, who didn’t want to be named.

Back home, the biggest private business comes from Uttar Pradesh — its rich sugar and liquor industries as well as its politicians. Delhi and the NCR run a close second, followed by Mumbai and Hyderabad. In the government sector, Jammu and Kashmir has the highest demand, followed by Punjab, Northeastern states and Naxalite-hit Andhra Pradesh.

But the dealings with the rich and powerful brings its share of trouble too. In 2006, the Chandigarh Crime Branch put the Sobti group in the dock for bullet-proofing politician Mukhtar Abbas Ansari’s vehicle. Another order from Bihar brought trouble from the STF.

The Sobtis, who claim to have armoured about 4,000 private sector vehicles so far, now ensure that every customer’s request is vetted by the Jallandhar division of the Intelligence Bureau. “While we may armour a car after verifying their documents, complete with vehicle chassis number etc, how do we stop another person from using them?” asks the director.

... contd.