by Police - Bureau of Police Research and Development
by Police - Bureau of Police Research and Development
by Police - Bureau of Police Research and Development
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The Indian <strong>Police</strong> Journal may be pertinent to recall that Mujibur Rehman’s Awami League hadgot a majority in the Pakistan National Assembly in the elections heldin December 1970, but the ruling junta was refusing to honour thism<strong>and</strong>ate. Bhutto had, in his own style, said that he would break theattend the session there. Later, in the evening, the plane was blownup with a worldwide audience watching in horror on the TV…. Thepassengers <strong>and</strong> the crew had earlier been taken <strong>by</strong> the authorities <strong>and</strong>lodged in a posh hotel.This hijacking underst<strong>and</strong>ably caused an upsurge <strong>of</strong> anger all over thecountry, with the BSF in the eye <strong>of</strong> the storm. The Media <strong>and</strong> thePoliticians <strong>of</strong> all hues wanted heads to roll. G.M. Sadiq, the ChiefMinister, J&K came out with a statement absolving the local police <strong>and</strong>airport checking staff - what could they do, he said, when the hijackerwent on board in a BSF uniform?Shri P.R. Rajgopal, who was the DD (Intelligence) at BSF HQ, acceptedresponsibility for recruiting Hashim Quraishi <strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong>fered to resign.Shri Rustamji, the DG BSF, as always the quintessential leader, saidthe blame, if any, was his. He said that double-agents were a fact <strong>of</strong>life <strong>and</strong> every agency gathering intelligence faced the risk that it maybe foisted with a double-agent. I think it was his utter sincerity thatAt that time, I was posted in the Delhi <strong>Police</strong> as DIG incharge <strong>of</strong> law& order. Frenzied mobs <strong>of</strong> hundreds at a time started converging onthe Pakistan High Commission. Overnight, we had to put up doublebarricades <strong>and</strong> searchlights around the Pak HC compound <strong>and</strong> alsoFor three days, the High Commission was beseiged <strong>and</strong> the police borethe brunt <strong>of</strong> stones, sticks <strong>and</strong> brickbats. Our m<strong>and</strong>ate was to avoid theuse <strong>of</strong> lethal force, but in no case to allow the mobs to break into theHigh Commission. Over 300 policemen were injured, but fortunately,intensive use <strong>of</strong> teargas ever in Delhi - over 1,200 shells daily. OnlyPress Counsellor in the Pak HC was S.N. Qutub, a classmate <strong>of</strong> mine180 January - March, 2013
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