Mukesh Ambani's Z-level security begins, CRPF embark on Mission Antilia

NEW DELHI: Reliance Industries boss Mukesh Ambani, who was assigned Z-level security last week, got his first taste of state-provided security on Thursday after a contingent of 33 men of the Central Reserve Police Force formally took over the task of guarding him in Mumbai, armed with AK-47 assault rifles, Glock semi-automatic pistols and bullet-proof jackets.

A senior home ministry official told ET that Ambani, who is the first private individual to be given Z-level security, will have 13 CRPF personnel at any point of time, with one of them even traveling in the front passenger seat of his car. "Two Maruti Gypsy vehicles have been provided to Ambani to act as an escort and pilot vehicle for his personal car," the official said.

Explaining the security detail, this official said out of the 33 men allocated to Ambani, not more than seven can be on leave at any point, leaving 26 to be always present for security duties. "The 26 men will work in two shifts of 12 hours each. Hence, Ambani at any point of time will be accompanied by 13 well-armed CRPF men in two vehicles whenever he travels in Mumbai. Two of these 13 men at any point of time will act as his Personal Security Officers (PSOs)...one of these PSOs is supposed to sit in the front passenger seat of Ambani's personal car whenever he travels, as per provisions of Z-level security cover by the government. The cover is however only for Mukesh Ambani and not his family," the official said.

A source in the CRPF said the onus of taking the CRPF personnel along with him wherever he travels will be on Ambani, which means that the business tyccon will have to bear the cost of the travel and lodging of CRPF personnel when he travels out of Mumbai. Ambani is supposed to pay close to 15 lakh every month to the government for the security cover, besides bearing the expenditure of constructing living barracks for these 33 men.

The CRPF source said the force is right now short-staffed to provide Ambani a separate set of security-men when he travels to Delhi or any other city outside Mumbai. "In due course, however, we plan to keep a small contingent of CRPF men ready in Delhi to handle his security when he comes here," the CRPF source said.

The home ministry order directing CRPF to take over Ambani's security does not clearly specify if the security cover has to be restricted to Mumbai, implying he has to be protected across India.