State to get bulletproof jackets from Centre

To avoid further controversy over the purchase of bulletproof jackets, the state Home department has decided to buy the jackets directly from the Centre, instead of any outside organisation.

To avoid further controversy over the purchase of bulletproof jackets, the state Home department has decided to buy the jackets directly from the Centre, instead of any outside organisation.

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“We have requested the Union Home Ministry to buy bulletproof jackets for the state police when it makes purchases for its other paramilitary forces. Instead of the state police buying it from any agency, we will take it from stock bought by the Centre for its paramilitary forces,” a government official said.

“The Centre has accepted the request, and in its latest purchase of 60,000 jackets, 2,000 will be bought for the state police,” he added.

The state will pay the Union Home Ministry for the purchases. These jackets will be more expensive but are good enough to stop bullets fired from weapons like Self Loading Rifles and the AK-47. The quality of these jackets became an issue after the death of ATS chief Hemant Karkare in last year’s 26/11 terror attack.

Karkare’s wife, Kavita, raised doubts over the quality of bulletproof vests used by police officers, including her husband, who died in the attack that day. A petition alleging irregularities in the purchase of these jackets is pending with the HC.

“Rather than looking for any agencies supplying such vests, we will prefer to buy vests of the same quality as those in use by forces such as the BSF,” said the official.