NEW DELHI: Now that his days behind the iron curtain of prime ministerial security are over, Mr Rajiv Gandhi is believed to be exploring various options for a new residence.

His security advisers are believed to have told him that his residence at 7 Race Course Road is unsafe without the huge security network he had as Prime Minister.

Although police sources said quite categorically that he will be provided with enough security as long as he and his family are in danger, they admitted that it would have to be scaled down from the present level.

Among the options Gandhi and his security advisers are considering are moving to the safety of his farmhouse in Mehrauli or shifting to a house on Akbar Road or Tughlaq Road which would be safer from a security point of view and more economical to protect.

Today, a contingent of around 1,500 men and a fleet of over 20 bulletproof vehicles are on duty round-the-clock to protect Gandhi and his family.

His residence on Race Course Road is sealed off from the front and back. As many as 13 police pickets are posted in the lanes behind his house while dozens of policemen are on patrolling duty within the compound and outside on Race Course Road.

The top story of Samrat Hotel was sealed off after it was belatedly discovered that its windows overlook the Prime Minister’s residence. Three policemen are posted permanently on the rooftop of the hotel.

Security for the Prime Minister was stepped up on a massive scale following the assassination of Indira Gandhi and the subsequent blame on the intelligence agencies.

One of the first steps the new Government took in 1984 was to form the Special Protection Group Just to look after the Prime Minister’s security. Over the years, it has grown into a huge outfit, headed by an Inspector General who commands 6 DIGs, 18 SPs and around 300 gazetted and non-gazetted officers.

The SPG only looks after the Prime Minister’s inner security.

The rest is taken care of by the Delhi Police which has expanded correspondingly.

The security wing of the Delhi Police, for instance, has tripled its previous strength and acquired a new fleet of high powered vehicles to keep up the speeds preferred by Gandhi.

The Traffic Police created a new wing solely to coordinate all traffic arrangements for the Prime Minister’s motorcade and functions. A special intelligence agency was formed within the Special Branch of the Delhi Police which, under the supervision of a DCP, collects information locally which may affect the Prime Minister’s security.

A similar cell was created in the Intelligence Bureau for the same purpose countrywide. It is headed by a separate IG, 3 DIGs and a horde of SPs.

In addition to all this, a battalion of around 400 armed policemen is stationed behind the Prime Minister’s house for security along the roads his motorcade uses and other arrangements.

Since the Prime Minister possesses and uses three different vehicles, his security had to acquire three sets of vehicles, all converted to resemble his cars. Thus, for his silver gray Mercedes, there is a fleet of white Ambassadors and for his rust four-wheel drive American jeep, his security has a fleet of rust colored jeeps.

The total cost of maintaining this kind of security has not been calculated, but police sources estimate that it must cost the Government one crore rupees (Rs 10 million) every day, including the gas Cost, maintenance of vehicles that are driven at high speeds, food, salaries for so many security personnel, lodging, electricity for the high-powered security lights that blaze the entire night and so on.

This kind of security was partly necessitated by the fact that the residence Mr. Gandhi chose to live in was belatedly found to be extremely insecure, because of the maze of lanes and service lanes behind it, because of the Samrat Hotel which overlooks it and because of the Delhi Gymkhana Club accurses the road.

Gandhi’s farmhouse in Mehrauli, with its high walls and isolation could be made secure enough, his security advisors feel, without making the kind of demands his security would need, like blocking off an entire road.

Article extracted from this publication >>  December 15, 1989