V Narayan

MUMBAI: Post 26/11 terror attacks, Mumbai cops’ arsenal has been beefed up with advanced and sophisticated weapons.

These include rocket launchers, under barrel grenade launchers (UBGL), automatic grenade launchers (AGL), sniper rifles, mortars, projector grenades, corner shot weapons and cord-detonating explosives. That apart, cops have also got a large number of general weapons such as SLRs, AK-47s, Insas rifles, machine guns and stun guns.

This data has been procured by activist Chetan Kothari in response to a query under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

Kothari said the quantity of weapons, of both Indian and foreign make, shows the Mumbai police force is prepared to combat any terror-like situation. “The main question that arises now is whether the force is well-trained to handle such weapons. Also, whether the weapons will work properly during emergency,” he said.

Mumbai police spokesperson DCP Mahesh Patil said the department has been using sophisticated weapons post 26/11. “These weapons provide the force with an added edge to combat any terror-like situation. Experts from companies that deliver these weapons train the force in using them,” said Patil.

The RTI query revealed the city police have 14 rocket launchers, 391 grenade launchers, 44 mortar, eight sniper rifles, 29,373 SLRs, 3,975 AK-47s and 3,916 Insas rifles and over 4,000 machine and stun guns.

The department also purchased 4,500 bullet-proof jackets in a span of 11 months, between March 2011 and January 2012.

Maharashtra state inspector general (law and order) Deven Bharti told TOI: “After 26/11, the state government purchased rocket and grenade launchers, snipers and other advanced weapons. These highly sophisticated weapons are used by special forces such as the Anti-Naxal Force and Force One in Mumbai. Even cops from other important metros have got such weapons.”



(Force One, the special police unit trained to take on terrorists in an urban setting, TOI photo)

A senior IPS officer, who requested anonymity, said the city police had faced flak for using outdated arms to counter terrorists in the 26/11 attacks. “These sophisticated arms have been mainly procured from the US and Germany.

The new weapons include rocket and grenade launchers, sniper rifles apart from MP5, MP9 and colt firearms, which were only used by paramilitary forces, are now also with the city police,” he said.

Post 26/11, immediate measures were taken to deal with emergency situations by arming city police with new combat vehicles, state-of-the-art weaponry and commandos trained in latest technique. “We have ensured we get the best weapons for our men. We have procured a few and will get more in the future,” former Maharashtra state director general D Sivanandhan had said in August 2009. (Courtesy