EXPIRED!

EXPIRED!

What does Karnataka Police do to tell they can take care of Aam Aadmi in a terror situation? Hold a press conference to show their weapons. Never mind the expiry date is over?

Hemanth Kashyap
Posted On Tuesday, December 02, 2008
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Karnataka Police believes the best way to build confidence among the people about its capability is to hold an exhibition. Pull out arms, ammunition and assorted gear. Put them on a table. Call the press. And say we have the weapons and tools, too.

Though there is the matter that the stun grenades, the wood-piercing shells and some of the other smart weapons on display have long crossed their expiry dates.

Stun grenades — expired in January 2005
Dye marker grenades — expired in June 2005
Sten gun shells — expired in June 2007.

Not that DGP Srikumar did not notice the dates that stared from the weaponry laid out. When he possibly thought he was out of earshot of the journalists present, he whispered something into a KSRP commando’s ear. This correspondent, who was just behind the police chief, heard him telling the commando to discreetly remove the expired weapons from the display. As Srikumar left the place, the mediamen followed him. Meanwhile, the commando removed the expired weapons.

But it was too late. The dates had already beencaptured on the cellphone camera.

Earlier, as the press conference began, DGP R Srikumar mouthed the usual bravado about how his force was ready to handle any situation. He appealed to the ‘aam janata’ never to doubt the police force’s preparedness. And as if to reassure the people, he even obliged photographers who asked him to strike a pose with a machine gun.

In Monday’s weapons display, only light machine guns and some explosives were the only items in working condition.
But this is not the first time that our police force has been caught with expired-weapons in their arsenal. Five years ago, Comptroller and Auditor General of India in his report had pulled up KSRP for stocking expired tear gas shells and other weapons.

When asked Srikumar dismissed the presence of weapons with expired dates saying that they were meant only for practice and not for use in combat