entourage

Shinde’s security

Residents of Pali Hill say the union home minister is aware of the problems his outsizedposes, but is unwilling to compromise on his Z-plus security.Fed up of the Union Home Minister’s mini-battalion of police guards, which they accuse of spoiling their pristine neighbourhood, residents of Bandra’s Pali Hill got into a face-off with cops on Sunday.Sushil kumar Shinde is in Mumbai for Diwali, and on Sunday afternoon, his neighbours got into a tiff with his entourage, which comprises over 60 security personnel.Residents said they wanted the guards to maintain the peace and cleanliness of their neighbourhood.They accused the guards of being indifferent to their surroundings by throwing litter everywhere and using the area as their personal loo.“We have been complaining about Shinde’s security guards, who compromises the peace and cleanliness of the area, for some time. Despite several warnings, these guards pee in the open and throw garbage on the road,” said Dr Amit Shukla, president of the Pali Hill Residents’ Association (PHRA).According to residents, the policemen and commandos posted ourside Shinde’s bungalow literally live out of their police vans, eat their meals on the road and, in the absence of any public loos on the hill, use the area as their personal toilet.In addition, they complain that many roads are cordoned off and the entire neighbourhood comes to a standstill whenever Shinde or one of his VIP guests arrives at or leaves his luxurious Gautam bunglow on Nargis Dutt Road.Shinde, who is protected by an elite group of commandos from the Delhi police, 15-20 local policemen, and a five-man bomb-disposal squad, travels with a convoy comprising at least four vehicles (his own bulletproof vehicle and three escort vehicles). The Delhi commandos and two ACP-rank policemen are part of his travelling entourage.Shinde’s large security entourage was expanded further after recent intelligence alerts pointed to a threat to his life follwing the hangings of Ajmal Kasab and Afzal Guru. But the home minister, who is believed to be aware of the inconvenience his security detail causes his neighbours, is unwilling to compromise on his security.Madhu Poplai, secretary of PHRA, said, “We have taken up the issue with the home minister himself. He apologised for the inconvenience but expressed his inability to find a solution following threats to his life after the hanging of two terrorists in Pune and Delhi.”Senior police officials, none of whom were willing to be named, admitted the residents’ woes were genuine, but added that only Shinde could take a call on the issue. “As this has to do with the home minister’s security, we can’t do anything until he takes a call,” said a senior police official, who did not wish to be named.As home minister, Shivraj Patil had Z-plus security, but his successor P Chidambaram, in his three-and-ahalf years as home minister, refused the cover. He had just one personal security guard and no escort vehicles. With Shinde, however, Z-plus security to the home minister was restored.A home ministry official, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “Following the hanging of the two terrorists, intelligence agencies told the us that the home minister was a possible target for terrorist outfits. His security was increased following these threats.”Despite several attempts, Shinde could not be reached for comment.15 elite commandos from Delhi police (used to be 10)2 ACP-rank officers15 to 20 cops from Bandra police station5-member bomb disposal squadDog squadLady constablesTraffic constablesIn addition, the Senior Inspector of Bandra police station makes rounds of Pali Hill every eight hours with a team of 15 Shinde’s security