900 Black Cat commandos out of VIP duty to fight terror

NEW DELHI: Now, there will be fewer Black Cat commandos guarding VIPs. With increasing threats of terror attacks, India’s elite force, the National Security Guard (NSG), has pulled out around 900 of its commandos from VIP guarding duty and sent them for anti-terror training.

Established in 1984, the force has scaled down its VIP duty for the first time in two decades to focus on greater challenges emerging on the terror front. The NSG, according to sources, is now guarding the least number of protectees — 15 VVIPs/ VIPs — after a long time following the de-induction of a large number of commandos.

“The force has shifted one of its three VIP security units — the 11 Special Rangers Group (SRG) for training in specialist counter-terror operations as part of its original charter,” an official said.

The development has come at a time when there is a raging debate on whether an elite force constituted for such key duty as special operations in terror situations should be guarding VIPs. NSG commandos were deployed for VIP security duties in 1992. It was raised under a parliamentary Act in 1984 as a federal contingency force.

The formations of the NSG are segregated into five units, two Special Action Groups (SAGs) manned by officers and jawans from the Army and three SRGs comprising personnel from paramilitary forces.

“One unit has been de-inducted from rendering VIP security duties. Now, they will train to perform counter-terror tasks on the lines of the SAG units. Both the Army and paramilitary components will be able to perform the mandated charter of the force which is to tackle terror and hijack challenges,” the official said.