What happens to Z+ security of leaders after they are detained, arrested?

India Today

a day ago

On Monday, New Delhi witnessed a high-voltage protest when nearly 300 Opposition MPs tried to march to the Election Commission office over "vote theft" allegations. They were stopped midway by the Delhi Police, who detained the leaders and put them on a bus. Among those detained were Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, MP Jairam Ramesh, and Trinamool Congress MPs Mahua Moitra and Mitali Baugh.advertisementSo, in situations like this, what exactly do the security personnel, of varying categories, namely, X, Y, Y-plus, Z, Z-plus, or Special Protection Group (SPG), do when the police are physically removing the very individuals they are responsible for safeguarding?Take Rahul Gandhi, for example, who has Z-plus security cover. What happens at such a moment? Who is ultimately responsible for the leader's safety? How do these security teams react during detention? And once the Opposition MPs were taken to a place like the Parliament Street Police Station, what were their roles? Do they ever intervene in the process?
To find out, India Today Digital spoke to a senior serving IPS officer and a former Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officer who served in the Special Protection Group (SPG). The SPG provides cover to the highest security category in India, whose sole protectee at present is PM Narendra Modi. Before 2019, other than the PM, three Gandhi family members also had SPG cover for 28 years.HOW INDIA'S VIP SECURITY TIERS ARE STRUCTURED FROM X TO SPGIndia's security cover for high-risk individuals is divided into six tiers: X, Y, Y-plus, Z, Z-plus, and SPG. Each tier is tailored to the threat level assessed by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) based on inputs from intelligence agencies like the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW).The X category provides two armed police personnel, no commandos.The Y category includes eight personnel, with one or two commandos.The Y-plus category involves 11 personnel, including two to four commandos.The Z category mandates the deployment of 22 personnel, including four to six National Security Guard (NSG) commandos, while Z-plus, the highest non-SPG tier, involves 55 personnel, including over 10 NSG commandos, a bulletproof car, and escorts in three shifts.At the top is the SPG. It is an elite force under the Cabinet Secretariat, which exclusively protects the Prime Minister and, in some cases, their immediate family, with highly trained personnel and classified protocols.The MHA decides these categorisations, often for ministers due to their positions, but private individuals also receive cover based on specific threat perceptions.Personnel from the CRPF, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and NSG implement these protocols. The CRPF and the CISF collectively secure around 350 VIPs, 35 of whom are under the Z-plus category.advertisementIn situations where individuals being guarded by personnel from multiple security agencies are detained, there is a well-defined protocol and their actions are coordinated.WHAT HAPPENS TO VIP SECURITY WHEN LEADER IS DETAINED OR LATHICHARGED UPON?A serving senior IPS officer, speaking to India Today Digital, explained, "If the person with VIP security is arrested, the security personnel remain outside the police station premises. After the individual's release, the police or security personnel report back to the person."While a high-value individual being guarded in detention remains under the custody of the detaining agency, their security personnel coordinate closely with that agency."Once the arrested or detained person is released, the security detail immediately resumes full charge of their protection," the senior IPS officer said.The CRPF officer who served in the SPG elaborated, saying, "The security personnel provided to the politicians with Z+ cover are from the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF, not state police services). They will protect the person they are assigned to, but won't take any step that comes in the way of the police or any civilian authority".But what happens in the case the politician is part of a crowd being lathicharged by the police?advertisement"Security officers try to protect the leader, but won't do anything that might end up injuring the police personnel. The officials in the security detail are mostly aware of the politician's movements and plans, including of protests, well ahead," the officer, who was once on SPG duty, said.But there are times when a politician takes them by surprise, and the security personnel then have to act impromptu."In case a politician is being detained, the officers in their security detail won't step in, but move to secure the vehicle and premises where they are kept," the CAPF officer told India Today Digital."The security officers work in close coordination with the police, and are kept updated. So, when such a detained leader is released from custody, they assume responsibility for their cover right from the police station," he added.So, when leaders like Rahul Gandhi, under Z-plus security, are detained, their CAPF personnel maintain protection without interfering with police actions. They would have secured the area and coordinated with the Delhi Police. Once released, Rahul's security would have resumed full security duties.This delicate balance ensures the safety of high-value individuals while respecting legal processes. It also shows the disciplined coordination between the CAPF, the local police and other law enforcement agencies who all are discharging their duties.- Ends(With inputs from Priyanjali Narayan)
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