The ‘soul’ of the police department, the informer or ‘khabri’ could soon have the position of a home guard. The proposal for the same is under consideration in Mantralaya and may be sanctioned within the next few weeks in light of the recent gang rape, according to sources from the home department.
The office of director general of police (DGP) had sent the proposal to the state government to accommodate informers in government jobs on March 18, 2013. However, the state rejected it as it would burden the state’s budget. Now, after the infamous gangrape of a female photojournalist at the deserted Shakti Mills in Mahalaxmi, the home department has decided to move the proposal. Sources said instead of accommodating informers into government service, they would be assigned as home guards.
According to sources from the DGP office, initially the proposal was only for Gadchiroli district, but it is now extended for the state. “Yes it is true that such a proposal was sent to the state government, but I don’t know what is the current status”
said DGP Sanjeev Dayal. He refused to disclose the number of informers across the state. “It is a secret and nobody can disclose it,” he replied.
As per inputs from sources in the DGP’s office, a mere `3 lakh is allotted to the Mumbai crime branch every year for it’s countless informers. Local police stations have to arrange money for the informers through some other way.