An interview with Delhi's top cop Karnal Singh

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Former chief of Delhi Police's special cell, Karnal Singh was credited for cracking the 2005 Delhi blasts case, the Parliament attack in 2001 and more recent serial blasts in Delhi. Singh is now serving as the joint commissioner of police.

CJ: Ramesh Kumar Raja

Wed, Sep 02, 2009 11:30:18 IST

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Delhi police :

BE IT young or adult, rich or poor, Delhite or Mumbaikar, the word ‘terrorism’ haunts everybody, especially post since 26/11. Taking cue of this long-standing dreadful issue, I encashed an opportunity to interact with top cop Karnal Singh, the former chief of Delhi Police’s special cell on various subjects related to terrorism. Although Singh is no more heading the elite special cell, as he is now the joint commissioner of police, Northern range, his five year tenure in the last department has enough to say regarding police efforts in curbing terror. Instrumental in solving many terrorist related cases, he was credited with cracking the 2005 Delhi blasts case, Red Fort shootout and the Parliament attack in 2001 and the more recent serial blasts in Delhi. An alumni of Delhi College of Engineering, the 1984 batch IPS officer, has also played a critical role in proliferating tech-savvy culture in the police

Excerpts:

Q: For years, tackling terrorism is continued to be the hottest topic of discussion everywhere. As a high rank police official, what do you say?

Karnal Singh: Certainly, the terrorists are making different parts of the country as their targets, like they have raised destruction in Gujarat, Jaipur, Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai in the last one year. Such incidents lead to the feeling of insecurity among people. Therefore, Delhi Police is taking various steps to help people feel secure and also the security of Delhi has been upgraded.

Q: There was a time when militancy was confined to certain parts of the country, particularly Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeastern states. But now, it has enveloped the entire nation in its fold that is posing as a grave domestic threat as well as to the police that is already burdened with indigenous crimes. How do you look at it?

KS: Definitely, it is upsetting the internal security of our country and the government. Therefore, taking steps to arm the police and tackling terrorism is a must.

Q: Don’t you think there is a paradigm shift in tackling terrorism that used to be a subject matter of armed forces but now to the police and civilians as well?

KS: Yes. I agree that public cooperation is must in tackling terrorism. For example, tenant verification drive, servant verification drive, use of cyber café by authorised person and allowing people to stay in hotels and guest-houses after proper authentication are some of the measures that every citizen should follow responsibly. Moreover, in the areas where public support is required in Delhi, meetings have been held with their Resident Welfare Associations and Market Associations to seek their cooperation in upgrading the security and in rehearsing the evacuation plan in case of any crisis or emergency.

Q: What according to you are the reasons driving terrorists infiltration to the interiors of country including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka, etc?

KS: There are various causes of terrorist activities in different parts of the country. Insurgency in the Northeast, Naxalism in the central and eastern India and the foreign sponsored terrorism in the Jammu and Kashmir and even other parts of the nation have different reasons. They cannot be assumed up as single terrorist activity throughout the country. The convenient situations in the hinterland have helped the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, etc to persuade the misguided youth in joining terrorism.

Q: Do you feel our intelligence agencies have failed?

KS: Not at all. Intelligence agencies in association with the state police have been doing its jobs with utmost diligence and as a result a large number of could-be terrorist activities have been prevented with the arrest of large number of terrorist modules all over the country. Intelligence agencies have to be successful at all the time but terrorists need only one success to perpetrate their evil design. Therefore, a successful terrorist activity cannot be mirror of our intelligence failure or success. Instead one should always keep in mind the number of times our intelligence agencies have thwarted the terrorist attacks.

Q: Now that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has come into being and the dormant Multi-Agency Centre (MAC) of the IB all set to be in action. Do you feel both of these intelligence set-up will help in combating terrorism?

KS: See, the government is making its efforts in this direction to embark upon the terrorism. The government and public both are serious and therefore, both of these developments should give positive outcome.

Q: Unlike the armed forces across the border areas, police personnel have certain limitations, as well as they are also not fully armed and liable to combat terrorism on its own. Do you feel a dire reformation is needed in our policing or police system?

KS: It has been decided by the government that the NSG centres will be established in various parts of the country shortly so that its response time against any terrorist attack would be better and improved. The states’ local police are also strengthening their skills with weaponary.

Q: As you were the chief of Delhi Police’s special cell aimed at curbing terror activities, coul you share some of your experiences?

KS: Officers in the special cell have been very dedicated and once given a task they are focused to get it done. They even do not go to their homes for months together. They have excellent analytical ability in understanding the situation, as a result, each time terrorists have destructed in Delhi, the special cell has proved successful in nabbing them in a very short span of time.

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