BHOPAL: There was a virtual face-off between the MP state police personnel and the CRPF personnel outside the multi-storied Platinum Plaza building in Bhopal on Sunday evening, while the income tax raids were underway at two premises on the fourth and sixth floor of the building.
A state police team led by city SP (CSP) rank officer Bhupendra Singh and inspector Virendra Chouhan tried to enter the building from one of the entry points, but the CRPF personnel guarding the entry point didn’t allow the state police personnel entry inside.
This triggered a face-off between the two police forces as officers from both sides indulged in heated exchange of words for around 15 minutes, before the matter was resolved.
“Our police station got a phone call from some people residing inside the multi-story building, about them not being by CRPF to go outside, even when faced with emergencies. We rushed to the spot and tried to enter the building, but the CRPF personnel deployed there closed the entry gates and didn’t allow us to go inside,” said a Bhopal police officer present at the spot.
The CRPF personnel, however, realizing the problems of those stranded inside, finally allowed group of men and women to go outside for urgent considerations, including an ill woman, for whom an ambulance was pressed into action outside the building.
The CRPF officers present on the spot, however, denied any confrontation with local police. “Since the action is underway in MP, hence the presence of local police is justified,” said one of the CRPF officers.
Till the time of filing this report, more CRPF personnel were deployed at the complex to deal with any untoward situation.
According to sources in MP police, the state police in Bhopal and Indore have made it clear to the CRPF personnel guarding the raided premises that anyone apprehended by the income tax department sleuths during their operation cannot be taken out of MP without informing local police.
In Indore, the DIG/SSP Ruchi Vardhan went to one of the premises being raided by the IT department sleuths and told the on-duty CRPF personnel that anyone apprehended during the raids cannot be taken by them outside Indore without informing local police. She also shared her telephone numbers with on duty CRPF personnel to inform her in time of any need.
Importantly, two companies of CRPF from Delhi had arrived in Indore and Bhopal two days back only, but the state police intelligence or Bhopal or Indore police officers had no idea about the pre-dawn income tax raid which was bound to happen at the premises of close aides of CM Kamal Nath.
To ensure that the state police had no idea about the tax sleuths operation, the IT department teams from Delhi who were in Indore and Bhopal, moved in the disguise of tourists boarding tourist vehicles in the two cities of MP.