Clean sheet to Assam Police Bullet proof jackets

The one-man inquiry committee constituted to probe the efficacy of bullet-resistant jackets procured by Assam Police in 2012-13 has found no deviations in its quality and the unfortunate killing of police officer Bhakar Kalita was due to point blank range shot and improper wearing of the vest.

However, the inquiry report pointed out that officer-in-charge of Bordumsa police station Bhaskar Kalita who died in an encounter with the ULFA militants in May, was not wearing the 'complete' gear (bullet-proof vest).

The one-man inquiry committee of Additional Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna, according to a top State Government officer, evaluated the quality of the bullet-resistant jackets from all angles including ballistic test firing, and found no deviation in the vests which were supplied by Tata Advanced Materials.

The jackets, which were used as exhibits, were randomly picked up from various district police by the inquiry committee and were subsequently sent for forensic examination in Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Chandigarh.

The committee was formed after bullets pierced into the bullet-proof vest of Bhaskar Kalita during an operation against the ULFA (I) militants and questions were raised on the efficacy of the safety jackets worn by the Assam Police.

Sanjay Krishna's report clearly mentions that the jackets were duly tested by then Additional Director General of Assam Police AK Jha (Now Special DGP, CID) at the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Chandigarh itself. Sources also informed that the vests in question were designed in a way that could resist a bullet shot from 10 metre range.

"Unfortunately, Kalita was shot from point blank range," sources pointed out.