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Krittivas Mukherjee in Calcutta
Shaken by the growing incidence of abductions for ransom, West Bengal is raising a special police unit that will receive training in crisis management from paramilitary forces.
The 300-strong force will deal exclusively with cases of kidnapping and insurgent activities.
The decision to raise this force is significant in light of the recent kidnapping and subsequent release of prominent Calcutta-based shoe magnate, Parthapratim Roy Burman. The police were said to have failed to trace him because they lacked expertise in crisis management.
According to sources in the home department, work on constituting the special unit has begun.
"The process of identifying the men for the specialised unit is on," a senior official said.
The unit will be trained by paramilitary outfits like the Border Security Force and the Central Reserve Police Force.
"The training has been designed to sharpen the effectiveness of the rescue missions. The key will be the expertise and preciseness of a military operation," the official said.
Alongside tackling kidnappers, the combat force will also deal with insurgency.
Indo-Asian News Service
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