26/11 remarks: probe ordered against Gafoor

The Maharashtra government is likely to serve a showcause notice to former Mumbai police commissioner Hassan Gafoor on Monday, for a media interview in which he claimed some senior police officers had hesitated to respond during the 26/11 terror attack.

The Maharashtra government is likely to serve a showcause notice to former Mumbai police commissioner Hassan Gafoor on Monday, for a media interview in which he claimed some senior police officers had hesitated to respond during the 26/11 terror attack.

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This comes after Home Minister R.R. Patil took exception to Gafoor’s remarks. On Sunday, he confirmed to the media that he has asked Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Chandra Iyengar to investigate, and ask Gafoor for an explanation.

While Patil himself had to resign in the wake of the public fury that followed 26/11, an inquiry committee headed by former cabinet secretary Ram Pradhan said Gafoor had shown lack of vision and leadership during the crisis.

Patil got back his job as head of the Home Department in the new government that took over earlier this month. Given 26/11’s impact on Patil’s political career, Gafoor’s remarks – coming just as the state prepares for the first anniversary of the attack – were not what the minister wanted to hear.

Gafoor met Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and Patil on Saturday and told them he was misquoted by the interviewer. Several aggrieved Indian Police Service (IPS) officers have also called on the two to express their concern and requested them to pull up Gafoor.