The Bombay High Court on Thursday once again sought to know from the State government why it spends taxpayers’ money on police protection to politicians.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice M.S. Sonak was hearing a PIL that claimed many police officers are busy providing security to VIPs. It said the police machinery is needed for law and order in the city.
Saying that politicians can pay for police protection from party funds, the Bench told the government to ensure that protection is discontinued to people no longer facing threats. It said, “Making the same set of police personnel serve as bodyguards for an indefinite period of time is not good for the police and the persons to whom they have been assigned as bodyguards. For, by employing the same 1,000 personnel as bodyguards forever, you are wasting their skills.”
The court observed that the government must check fitness levels of police personnel deployed as bodyguards.