Bulletproof Vehicles Withdrawn for 20 Former, Serving IPS Officers

Hyderabad: The state government has withdrawn bulletproof vehicles allotted to 20 former and serving IPS officials, including ex-DGPs, based on the state intelligence department’s report on threat perception. The government has also withdrawn escort vehicles that were previously used by former DGPs.

The government has started the process of reducing the security facilities like bulletproof vehicles and gunmen provided to former DGPs, retired IPS officers, former high-ranking officials and some VIPs, sources disclosed.

Orders have been issued to review the security provided to more than 100 prominent people so far, and reduce them where they are deemed not necessary by the intelligence department. Security is being reviewed taking into account factors such as the eradication of Maoism from Telangana, sources disclosed.

The government recently withdrew the bulletproof vehicle provided former IPS officer and BRS leader R.S. Praveen Kumar who had the security for almost 20 years. He has since approached the Telangana High Court which issued an interim stay on the measure.

Among those for whom security could be withdrawn were former DGPs Swaranjit Sen, A.K. Khan, A.K. Mahanty, Dinesh Reddy, Jitender, Mahender Reddy and Anurag Sharma. Others who would have their bulletproof vehicle withdrawn were former and serving IPS officers Poorna Chandra Rao, K. Srinivas Reddy, Naveen Chand, Daniel, Venkatrami Reddy, Stephen Ravindra, R.S. Praveen Kumar, D.T. Nayak, Umesh Sharif, Ravi Gupta, intelligence chief Vijayakumar and others.

As part of the security review, the number of gunmen for several political leaders and police officers has also been reduced. In most cases, security has been reduced to one plus one gunmen.