Showcause notice to Gafoor for 26/11 allegations

New Delhi: Former Mumbai Police commissioner, Hasan Gafoor has been a served showcause notice following allegations of delay in action on the night of 26/11 when Mumbai was attacked by terrorists. Gafoor has been asked to reply by the first week of December.

In an interview to The Week magazine, the former Mumbai police commissioner had said: "A section of senior police officers refused to be on the ground and take on the terrorists. By doing so, they chose to ignore the need of the hour. K L Prasad refused to come to the Trident and decided against hitting the roads. Devena Bharti, K Venkatesham and Parambir Singh did not appear keen on responding to the situation."

The officers who Gafoor has named are furious and are thinking of taking legal action against him. Additional Commissioner of Police, Mumbia, Deven Bharati - who was in Taj throughout the operations has told CNN-IBN: "Officers and men of Mumbai Police who were there in the field on those three days know what I did. It is very sad that a senior officer is using media to settle personal scores or whatever and that too after a year."

Parambir Singh is also likely to follow suit.

"What he has said is incorrect, inappropriate and defamatory. I'll take legal action. Whatever i did was seen live on many channels. Also I have given my say before the Pradhan Committee," he told CNN-IBN.

Faulted And Shamed

Gafoor has been indicted by the Ram Pradhan Committee which was probing the police handling of 26/11. He was transferred from the key post and was made Managing Director of the Police Housing Corporation.

The Pradhan Committee, which examined the state and polcie response to 26/11, has faulted Gafoor for not taking charge of the situation. Gafoor has been accused of not providing overt and visible leadership when he was Mumbai's police chief.

"On occasion of a crisis, such as the one Mumbai faced, the Police Commissioner should have been in the Command Centre in the Control Room which might have helped in better utilization of forces and prevented duplication of efforts by different police units," says the Pradhan committee's report.