Bhattacharjee

Manesar (Haryana), Feb. 14: Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee could have been in danger of being targeted at least six times in the past year by Maoists, a security official disclosed today.

The chief minister’s officer on special duty and director of security, A.K. Maliwal, said the latest threat was perceived in January this year.

“Various central agencies have warned of threat to the life of the chief minister at least six to seven times in the past one year. We have adapted his security drill accordingly,” Maliwal told The Telegraph on the sidelines of a seminar here.

Did the chief minister actually have a close shave? Maliwal said no danger might have been physically detected, but the risk remained.

Bhattacharjee is protected by the Special Security Unit (SSU) created in 2004 specifically for the purpose. He enjoys Z-plus security. So do Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mayavati, Narendra Modi and their counterparts in Naxalite-affected states.

Sources said Z-plus category means maximum security but the drill keeps changing in line with the risk assessment. The threat to the chief minister is classified as “fairly high”.

Bengal is one of the 16 states where bombing incidents have increased - from six in 2006 to 19 in 2007. But unlike Modi and Azad who are shielded by the National Security Guard (NSG), Bhattacharjee is protected by Bengal police.

“Our SSU is competent enough to deal with any situation,” Maliwal said.

Taking into account the heightened risk perception in the wake of Nandigram, the SSU has decided to upgrade its gadgets, other sources said.

The unit is exploring the possibility of getting “wrist-watch transmitters”, on display at the National Bomb Data Centre.

At Rs 20,000 a pair, the watches made in Hong Kong can replace handsets and have a range of 2.5km.