“The Da Lakhvi Code” continues ……

At this stage of the operation, something farcical, and what some readers may consider bizarre, happened.

We celebrate Delhi Police Day on 16 February every year to mark the separation of our force from the erstwhile undivided Punjab Police to become an independent entity under the Government of India in 1948.

The most important part of the celebrations is a ceremonial parade for which officers and men are drawn from different units of the Delhi Police. Pramod was also called to be a part of the parade as a gazetted officer leading a company of men.

Since he was in the middle of an important operation involving a likely terror attack, I met the senior officer who was in charge of organizing the parade.

Given the seriousness of the investigation at hand, Pramod could easily have been spared and another officer taken in his place. However, the officer—a senior of mine— would have none of it. The unfortunate consequence of the senior officer’s adamant attitude was that during a crucial phase of the operation, Pramod was actually on parade. An alert that he received on 5 February while on parade could have resulted in the netting of a terrorist.

It is often the case that one unit of the police does not comprehend the significance of the work being done by another unit. Or, sometimes, an officer heading one unit, out of envy, creates hurdles in the way of the success of an officer in charge of another unit. But, most of the time, routine police activity and administrative duties come in the way of more serious, urgent and time-sensitive work. The fact of the matter was that the ACP was not where he ought to have been at a critical moment in the operation, thanks to the unreasonable stubbornness of a senior officer.

To be continued ......