CISF to get four bulletproof SUVs

New Delhi: In a bid to tighten security of VVIPs at the Delhi Airport, the CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) is going to introduce four bulletproof SUVs. The trial is on and it is expected that the cars will be launched within two months.

“Four Tata Safaris are now under trial. These vehicles will go through several processes before joining our security group. We are likely to get these vehicles within two months,” said a senior CISF official on the condition of anonymity.

At present, CISF has 79 protectees under the Special Security Group (SSG)/CISF security cover. Among them, 9 persons get Z Plus category security, 9 persons get Z category security, 42 get Y category security, and 19 persons get X category security.

Earlier, Special Security Group (SSG) was raised in the CISF on November 23, 2006, for providing personal security to the VIPS as ordered by the MHA from time to time. Till last year, SSG was providing security cover to 43 protectees of different categories.

The security force had earlier demanded bulletproof vehicles from the ministry of Civil Aviation and the Bureau of Civil Aviation for the CISF personnel, to be deployed as part of the quick response team (QRT) at major airports.

“We don’t want to lose crucial moments that may prove vital in saving the lives of those under attack. In such cases, these bulletproof vehicles can be used during emergency and may be converted into temporary ambulances,” said the source. Some of the Z plus category protectees under CISF cover include former Manipur CM Ibobi Singh and former Punjab deputy CM Sukhbir Badal, former Punjab revenue minister Bikramjit Singh Majithia, national security advisor AK Doval, MoS home affairs Kkiren Rijiju, Union minister of finance Arun Jaitely, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, All-India Anti-Terrorist Front MS Bitta, ex-MLA Manjinder Singh Kang (Punjab), etc.