Action against Gafoor for media outbursts: Govt

Action will be taken against Hasan Gafoor, who was the Mumbai police commissioner during the 26/11 terror attacks, for his outbursts accusing four senior police officers of dereliction of duty during the carnage, Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil said on Monday.

Patil also said that 10 people, who were handling the file relating to procurement of bulletproof jackets for the Mumbai police, would be placed under suspension after questions were raised about its efficacy.

On the missing bulletproof jacket of Anti-Terrorist Squad chief Hemant Karkare, who was gunned down by terrorists, Patil said action would be taken against persons responsible for recovering the jacket from his body.

Karkare's wife Kavita had earlier raised questions about the missing bulletproof jacket her husband had been wearing when he geared up to take on the terrorists.

Patil's remarks came while replying to a discussion on the opposition resolution on what they called deteriorating law and order situation in the state.

Levelling allegations against senior colleagues and talking to the media was a clear breach of discipline, Patil said.

Gafoor is currently Deputy General of Police (Housing) and it was his birthday on Monday.

Gafoor could have offered the same comments before the Ram Pradhan panel which probed the response of the Mumbai police during the attack, he said. The panel report will be tabled on the floor of the assembly on December 21, he added.

Gafoor had courted controversy when he was quoted by a news magazine as saying that four officers -- K L Prasad, Deven Bharti, Parambir Singh and K Venkatesham -- had failed in due discharge of their duty during the terror strike.