The Mumbai police will get another joint commissioner, the sixth such post, to oversee intelligence gathering, including keeping track of sleeper cells, an official has said.
The decision has been taken by the Maharashtra government in the aftermath of the recent India-Pakistan military conflict, he said.
Before this order, the metropolis' police had five joint commissioners for law and order, crime, administration, traffic and economic offences, respectively, he told PTI on Thursday.
"In Mumbai, intelligence gathering is done by the Special Branch, which is headed by an additional commissioner (deputy inspector general rank) who reports to the joint commissioner (law and order). Now this branch will be headed by a joint commissioner, who will be of inspector-general rank,” the official explained.
“The Special Branch monitors every development in the city, collects intelligence inputs as well as keeps track of the activities of sleeper cells and (terror) sympathisers,” he said.
Under the new mechanism, the joint commissioner of Special Branch will report directly to the commissioner and will also coordinate with the joint commissioner (law and order), the official added.
'It will help in gathering intelligence and sharing information with superiors in a timely manner so that swift action can be taken. At present, the post of additional commissioner (Special Branch) is vacant and it is being looked after by the additional commissioner of police (crime),' he said.
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