The Indian Express: Pune: Monday,
May 09, 2016.
SATURDAY’S
INCIDENT in which a parcel containing a live detonator and “suspected
explosive” landed at the office of Director, Film and Television Institute of
India (FTII) highlights, what police say, a lacunae in the security set up of
the institute. Despite numerous reminders, the police say, the FTII
administration ignored all the alerts.
The institute
of national importance, which has completed half a century of its existence,
still doesn’t have a security policy in place, which would establish a Standard
Operating Procedure (SOP) to deal with visitors and parcels that come to the
campus. The institute doesn’t even have a regular security officer since March
2000 and the job is being done by a contractual employee who keeps changing,
reveal the documents accessed under the RTI.
The Deccan
Police station also conducted several security audits in the past and have
pointed to several security lapses, which have not been addressed till date.
After The
Indian Express filed a query with the institute administration in July 2014,
the administration had conceded that it did not have an SOP in place to deal
with matters related to safety and security of the institute. The then
Registrar, UC Bodake, had also promised that “very soon” a proposal to set up
the SOP will be prepared and submitted to the higher authorities for approval.
Accordingly,
a draft security policy was put up for consideration in the Governing Council
meeting held on January 7, 2016.
“The matter
was discussed in detail. It was resolved that the institute should go ahead
with the policy except for students. With regard to the provisions relating to
students, these may be framed in such a manner that they match with the
practice being followed in other institutions of higher education,” read the
minutes of the meetings.
The policy,
however, is yet to be adopted as it’s stuck in process and Security Department
is yet to get an SOP.
What’s
appalling, say the police is the fact that even after the local police sent
several requests to the FTII administration to beef up the security in the
light of threats including “a possibility of terror strike” posed to the
institute, nothing had been done.
One such
letter written by then Senior Inspector S M Joshi of Deccan Police Station to
FTII Director points out that there are no metal detectors at the main entrance
gate and none of the security personnel employed by the institute carry any
weapon which, it said, was a must in case of an attack. It also pointed out
that the institute doesn’t follow the practice of inspecting trucks, jeeps and
trolleys entering the institute.
“It’s advised
that keeping in mind the importance of the institute, it should get jawans of
Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) who are armed with automated weapons
for its security. Efforts should be made at the administerial level to get the
CISF personnel,” stated the letter.
In March
2013, the Special Branch of Pune Police carried out security audit of the
institute and pointed out many loopholes in the security set up, which it said
were needed to be fixed immediately. These included fixing breaches to the
security compound, lighting arrangement, alternative power supply, appointment
of a regular Security Officer, appointment of personnel to monitor CCTV control
room through day and night, setting up a watch tower equipped with a guard.
It points out
that despite sending several reminders in the past, the institute failed to
rectify the situation. Approached for a comment, Bhupendra Kainthola, director,
FTII said that on Monday itself he will call a meeting to review the security
set up and make sure that an SOP is in place at the earliest. He said that on a
priority basis, he will also seek a meeting with the local police to work with
them to fix any gaps in the security procedures.
“Our security
department is working on the Security Policy and I am told that it’s almost
finalised. After what happened yesterday, we will take up the matter on a
priority basis and will do whatever is necessary to secure the campus. We can’t
compromise on safety and security of our students and staffers,” said
Kainthola.
Meanwhile,
the Pune Police are still to trace the origin of the parcel that contained the
live detonator, a ‘yellowish substance’, which looked like an explosive and a
threat letter. Police said, as it was the weekend, they could not get the help
of India Post to find out from where the parcel originated. The seals on the
packet are illegible, said police.
“Once the
Postal Department opens on Monday, we will take its help to reach the persons
involved in the act. We have also sent the yellowish material for forensic
testing and are waiting for its report to find out if the substance is indeed
an explosive. We are studying similar cases that had happened in 2015 when a
Sambhaji Brigade supporters received explosive through courier,” said Sudhir
Hiremath, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-4), Pune Police.
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