Guidelines framed for safety of girl students

With the gang-rape of a medical student from Manipal University bringing to fore the safety of girl students in the State, the Home department has prepared fresh guidelines to be followed by universities for ensuring safety of their students.

After a series of meetings on Monday, the department said the new guidelines would specifically focus on the feasible measures for ensuring security and safety of students of the state-run and private universities. The guidelines focus on adequate manpower to provide security, installation of closed circuit televisions (CCTVs) and adequate lighting on the campuses. 

Additional Chief Secretary (Home) V Umesh said the guidelines would come into effect after being approved by the government. The government will direct varsities to ensure that there is sufficient private security personnel on the campuses.

For students residing off-campus, the Home department has stated, that varsities would have to arrange separate transport facility. “In case students have their own mode of transport, colleges and universities should give an advisory on which roads to avoid and which to use,” he said.

The prime reason cited for  these safety guidelines is due to the location of varsities in the State. For instance, Manipal University, NLSIU and Bangalore University are situated in remote areas.

The enforcement of these guidelines will be taken up by the jurisdictional police and the superintendent of police of the district. The Higher Education department will be calling a meeting of all the VCs soon to collect details on their security requirements and provide a feasible response, said Rajane- esh Goel, principal secretary, Higher Education department.

Source: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/340812/guidelines-framed-safety-girl-students.html

ICC Champions Trophy: Life in a cocoon and India's private bodyguards!

Team India's high-profile cricket stars have lived in a cocoon ever since arriving in the United Kingdom on May 29 for the ICC Champions Trophy. By limiting its interaction, the team management has not only denied the media but many passionate autograph hunters. The players have mostly confined themselves to their hotel rooms and have only surfaced during nets a day before their Champions Trophy games. This pre-planned 'strategy' seems to be working fine.

Fans, whether in India or abroad, have always treated our cricketers like superstars. But mediapersons, who frequently travel with the cricket players overseas, say the Indians have the worst record in public relations. Probably the players don't need any more publicity. They are already rich and famous and running an extra yard for the avid fan is a waste of time.

To shut out the media was not unexpected. The script was already 'decided' much before India flew to London. In his pre-departure press conference in Mumbai on May 28, when Mahendra Singh Dhoni parried questions on the Indian Premier League scandals with a sweet smile and an agitated media manager tried his best to gag the Press, the message was clear.

With the Champions Trophy entering its business end and India rolling inexorably to the semifinals, the ever-thirsty media has no choice but to reconcile to BCCI's diktats. Fair enough. Right now, it's important that India win the trophy. Nothing is bigger than the game, certainly not the power struggle inside the BCCI and its controversial ways. But to deny the enthusiastic fan an autograph or a personal photograph is just choking the romanticism associated with the gentleman's game.

The BCCI has hired bodyguards to make sure the players are undisturbed. These hunks look like the bad men in Western movies. Big, bald-headed and with a mean demeanor, they are intensely guarding the jewels of Indian cricket! They have been omnipresent - pitch-side, at nets, during team exercises, at press conferences and even at dinner tables and shopping malls. The Indian players lovingly called them, Tinus, Craig and Kyle.

The BCCI has hired South African Tinus and Australian Craig Weatherly. The ICC has provided Englishman Kyle Gould. Tinus is a familiar face with Indian cricketers. Interestingly, the well above six feet and more than a 100 kilos man is nicknamed "Tiny!"


he 38-year-old from Pretoria, Tinus , is the most 'experienced' from an Indian point of view. This is his second assignment with Team India. The first was when India toured South Africa in 2010-11. Tinus has also worked with IPL teams like Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Kings XI Punjab and Delhi Daredevils and was on assignment when the IPL was played in South Africa in 2009.

Tinus, Craig and Kyle are private security guards. They are all trained in hand-to-hand combat and are no less than a thoroughbred commando. They do not carry any firearms. Craig, for example, has been guarding celebrities for over two decades.

They are officially supposed to keep a low profile, but you just can't miss them. Standing amidst the players with dark glasses and their heads sticking out like king-size periscopes, the bodyguards cut quite a daunting figure.

Why did BCCI hire foreign bodyguards? Don't we have Indians to protect the players?

Speaking to NDTV.com, a senior team source explains: "Familiarity breeds contempt. These foreigners are professionals and have no attachment with an Indian player. They have been given a job to do and they will just do it. So it's a big advantage not to have Indians."

The team management is extra careful on this tour due to the allegations of spot-fixing in IPL. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, one of the bodyguards said the hacking of a British soldier to death by two men shouting Islamic slogans in a south London street last month has necessitated 'extra' protection for players. "You never know who is a terrorist. They can kill anytime and cricketers are soft targets," he said.

Another said: "It's been nice keeping an eye on the boys. They are not naughty and they are quite respectful. It works well both ways." The IPL scandal has made the players extra careful and it is helping manage them better, he added.

The players have not been going out too much. The weather has been damp and that's another reason, one of them said. "Even when they go out, our job is to mingle with them and make sure the crowd doesn't disturb them too much," he said.

The BCCI team management is enforcing its own code of conduct. Unlike some of the Australians who went on a drinking binge till the early hours in a Birmingham pub, the Indians have curfew hours (see graphic) and curbs on usage of mobile phones and parcels.

"We have verbally briefed all the players. There is no need for any written notification. The message is very clear and the boys are doing fine," said a team source.

Source: http://sports.ndtv.com/icc-champions-trophy-2013/blogs/soumitra-bose/209397-icc-champions-trophy-life-in-a-cocoon-and-indias-private-bodyguards

Hollywood's Bodyguards: Inside the World of Celebrity Security Detail

 From Oscar Contenders to Lady Gaga, it seems everybody who is anybody in hollywood has a security detail in their entourage and there are some who see it as a big business opportunity.
Kent Moyer, who got his start working security for the Playboy Mansion, founded the World Protection Group 12 years ago as a bodyguard training program to produce professional alternatives to the hired thug.
"If you look at some of the Hollywood people and what we call the so-called 'bodyguard-type,' big people, no training, maybe bouncer from clubs, maybe friends that they picked that are really tall, big, those people get dead real quick because they don't have formal training," he said. "It's about using your brain. It's not about using physical."
Moyer now has 200 employees busy guarding all types of people, from former prime ministers of foreign countries and dignitaries out of Washington, D.C., to business executives, billionaires and "quite a few celebrities" from all over the world. And demand is growing, he said.
"I think we are in a dangerous time," Moyer said. "People are a little bit more concerned about their security."

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Before getting an assignment, Moyer's "agents," as he calls them, go to bodyguard boot camp where they learn how to deal with stalkers, manage crowd control and how to help their clients make a quick escape.
Like many in Moyer's program, agent Darrel Clark has a police and military background. He said the danger in protection work is real.
"It doesn't matter if you are an A- or B- or C-lister," he said. "There is always someone when you are in the spotlight who wants to cause you harm, you never know."
Personal protection is a huge business. Moyer said clients will pay between $250,000 and $1.5 million per year for security, and there are some who hire protection just to create a little buzz.
"There's a certain percentage of celebrity-type people that want to have that bodyguard for the purposes of saying, 'I got a bodyguard,' when there is really not much threat," Moyer said. "It's more a show piece."
In Hollywood, with flashing cameras, paparazzi and fans, bodyguards for the rich and famous are ever-present, hovering just out of camera range.
Most celebrities won't talk about their security details, but even young up-and-comers are shelling out money for bodyguards.
Jimmy Bennett is 17 years old but he is already a veteran actor with a ton of movie and TV credits, playing a hell-raising future Starfleet captain by the name of James Tiberius Kirk in the "Star Trek" movie. Most recently, he starred on ABC's TV series, "No Ordinary Family."
Bennett is not yet an A-lister, but bodyguards are part of his entourage the moment he steps off a private plane or walks up to an event.
"It's weird," he admitted, but said the hired protection is necessary because he said he has received threats on social media.
" I have just had too many incidents and too many things that I have just, you know, I liked having these guys around," Bennett said. "I like feeling protected and I like feeling safe."
Moyer said when Bennett is on his way to an event, such as a Hollywood party, his agents scan social media and crowds looking for "indicators."


 "Let's say somebody says right out, 'I'm going to kill you,' that actually is considered a lower threat then sending you a bullet in an envelope in the mail," Moyer said. "We're looking for bad guys. We're looking for body language, facial expressions, people who have a fixation on him that may want to come up to him and approach him."
Hollywood drama sometimes becomes real-life drama when bodyguard relationships turn hot and heavy. In an interview with ABC's Katie Couric last September, Heidi Klum admitted sparking a romance with her bodyguard after her divorce from Seal.
" I've known him for four years and he's been with my family for the last four years," Klum said at the time. "He's cared for our entire family, mostly for our four children. He's helped us tremendously. I trust him. I trust him with my children's life. He's a great man."

Inside the World of Hollywood Bodyguards 

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In 2011, TV cameras caught Kim Kardashian and her former Australian bodyguard in a lip lock while filming her reality show, "Kim and Kourtney Take New York."
Then of course, who can forget the most iconic bodyguard-client relationship portrayed in the epic 1992 romance thriller, " The Bodyguard" -- the story about a music star, played by Whitney Houston, who falls in love with her bodyguard, played by Kevin Costner, after he is hired to protect her from a stalker.
But Moyer said romantic relationships between clients and their bodyguards are not appropriate.
"You are not their buddy, you are not their boyfriend or girlfriend and the reality is you have to maintain, always, the professional barrier," he said.
Sometimes those relationships turn sour. Justin Bieber and Britney Spears have both been sued by their former bodyguards. Spears settled the suit out of court. That professional barrier can also be tested by celebrities with illegal habits or those who are simply looking for a hired thug.
"If someone has an alcohol or drug problem and they are expecting their bodyguards to jump in and fight -- not what we do." Moyer said.
For Bennett, who is also branching out into a music career, he believes the risk of being hurt at a Hollywood party is low, but said the expense of a security detail is well worth the peace of mind.
"If you are more in the public space, there definitely is more of a threat," he said. "But I mean, as long as I have my guys, I don't think I would be worried."

Source:
 http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/hollywoods-bodyguards-inside-world-celebrity-security-detail/story?id=18567443&page=2#.UcrekeuBA7A

'Mango' film shooting cancelled in Goa after bouncers attack doctor

Civic authorities in Panaji Tuesday cancelled the shooting of upcoming Bollywood film "Mango" after security personnel attached to the film unit roughed up a well-known city doctor on a public road.

Panaji mayor Surendra Furtado told reporters here that the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) ordered the shoot cancelled.

"This cannot be allowed to happen. Film crew cannot assault respected city dwellers like this. The permission given to them (film crew) was only for a small area. But they have illegally blocked other roads too," Furtado said.

The incident occurred when Oscar Rebello, a well-known medical professional, was crossing the road behind his clinic located near the city market, where 'bouncers' accompanying the film crew had "illegally" cordoned off the road, asked him to stay put.

When Oscar still went on and crossed the road, four bouncers started roughing him up and threatening him.

"I am lodging a complaint at the Panaji police station. This attitude is unacceptable," Rebello said.

The film producers had been charged Rs.30,000 by the state government towards permissions for a three-day shoot, which had been scheduled in Panaji. But Furtado now says, that the city corporation would take a call on whether the film crew would be allowed to shoot in Panaji at all following the assault.

Well-known MTV veejay-turned-actor Rannvijay Singh, who is part of the film, was present onsite when the incident occurred.

Source: http://www.indiatvnews.com/entertainment/bollywood/-mango-film-shooting-cancelled-in-goa-after-bouncers-attack-doc-8315.html

Road rage: 2 assaulted in south Delhi

A 28-year-old man and his relative were allegedly thrashed and stabbed near the Vasant Vihar police station in south Delhi on Sunday night. The victims have been identified as ‎Tarilung Kaurnita and Titus from Nagaland. Four men have been arrested, said cops.
The victims live in Munirka and had stepped out around 2.30am to bring a friend home from the main road. Kaurnita and his brother-in-law left home on foot and were returning with their friend when two men asked them to move aside at Baburam Chowk. The victims said that though he got to a side, the men, who seemed drunk, asked them to move further. This led to an argument and the two were attacked.


 The argument soon turned nasty when two more men arrived at the spot and attacked Titus with a brick. He was hit on the head and started to bleed. The men then targeted Tarilung and stabbed him with a sharp edged weapon in the abdomen and thighs. He was also punched and kicked several times.
The victims raised alarm after which neighbors and passersby gathered at the spot. The attackers then fled sensing trouble.
Tarilung and Titus were taken to Safdarjung Hospital. While Titus was discharged, Tarilung had sustained severe injuries in his eyes and stomach. He is recuperating and out of danger. The cops too were informed about the incident and they rushed to the spot. A case under section 324 (Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons) has been registered and police have identified the accused.
The incidents of road rage are on the rise in the capital. On March 25, an 18-year-old boy was shot at by the Personal Security Officer (PSO) of a south Delhi businessman in an incident of road rage in Dhaula Kuan area. The accused PSO, Somdev, 35, was arrested. The boy and his friend had indulged in an argument with the businessman and his PSO over rash driving by the latter.
On November 4 last year, a 53-year-old man was assaulted by a man after their vehicles brushed past each other. The incident was reported from Safadrjung Enclave area in south Delhi. In the last week of October, two back-to-back incidents of road rage were reported in Vasant Kunj area of south Delhi.

Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-06-12/delhi/39924223_1_road-rage-south-delhi-titus

Delhi: Not enough men for PCR vans

They have more wheels, but not enough men. On a day home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde flagged off 100 more police control room (PCR) vehicles, his ministry, sources claimed, told the Delhi Police to ‘arrange for drivers’ on their own.

Thanks to the austerity drive of the ministry of home affairs (MHA), the police’s dream of a 1000-strong fleet of PCR vans won’t become reality for at least two more months.
And as if things weren’t bad enough, the force exercised the only alternative available — pulling out men from each of the 11 districts to drive the 100-odd new vans around. Around 1,600 personnel have been pulled out for the purpose so far.

Sources said this was an uphill task with officers deputed as assistant commissioners of police (ACP) and above, who ‘utilise’ the services of more than one driver, opposing the move.
“We have roughly been able to manage enough manpower for the 100 of the 370 sanctioned vehicles from within the department, which is from the central police control room (CPCR),” admitted an officer.
“The fate of the remaining fleet remains uncertain; we need at least 800 more personnel for the same.”
At the moment, between 50 and 70 PCR vans are officially dead while a hundred or so are sick — having reached the stage of ‘official condemnation’ as they have been in service for a period of six years or have run 1,50,000 kilometres — and on the verge of becoming unusable.
This takes the tally of functional PCR vans — after adding the 370 newly-sanctioned ones — to over 850; less than the magic number of a 1,000 which the department has been trying to reach since May last year.
“It’s not just about drivers,” the officer explained.
“The PCR is a specialised unit and each PCR van requires a team of at least four officers consisting of a driver, an operator who acts as in-charge and one to two gunmen to function efficiently.”
The personnel pulled out from district units will be replaced by fresh recruits currently undergoing training.

 Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Delhi-Not-enough-men-for-PCR-vans/Article1-1081797.aspx

I Am Scared, I Am a Single Woman in Delhi

I am a single woman in Delhi and I am scared and I am afraid. I am very, very scared – for my life, for my dignity, for my reputation but above all for my safety.

I am what the gossipy aunties of the city contemptuously refer to as “modern-types”:  I live with flatmates, not with my parents, and I go out with friends. Many of my friends are men; I wear pants and dresses.

I come home late after late-night movies, and go out for dinners. I have nobody who stays up to make sure I get home safe so it could happen that, one day, the fruits of this “modernity” could prove bitter for me.

Delhi can be very cruel to women, especially single ones.  You get used to the constant staring and to the unwanted comments. You almost get used to the occasional incident of groping and molestation. You also get used to every man, woman or politician – pretty much anyone with a mouth –giving you advice on what to wear, who to speak to, and which words to choose – all for the sake of your safety.

In the summer, I should be free to wear skirts if I want to. No one should tell me otherwise.

Yet I constantly hear unsolicited advice from unconnected neighbors and colleagues who tell me that, if I don’t dress or carry myself a certain way, I am inviting and provoking an attack on myself.  The implication of this logic feeds the stigma attached to single women in Delhi.

Last month, while I was house hunting, I asked the real estate agent how safe the neighborhood was. He said: “It is a very safe area, there have been only one or two incidents and that, too on the approach road, nothing inside the colony.” One incident is an incident too many. He suggested I should take self-defense classes and thought the local government take it upon itself to arm all women. I smiled. Women don’t want to be armed, they just want to be safe. I didn’t move to that house. I upped my budget and continued my search until I found a house in a gated community that I could afford.

People warn me against eye contact with men I don’t know. Yet I rarely hear anyone preaching to men about self-control, which – by the way – is one of the things that sets us apart from animals.

I am fairly sure that if I were molested or raped there will be those who say: “She was asking for it.” They may recall that I was wearing a skirt at the time, or that perhaps I was in a bar.

What scares me most about the latest, horrific, rape case in Delhi is that the young woman was raped and tortured for 45 minutes by several men, not just one, and none of them seemed to worry that what they were doing was wrong.

When Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit suggested setting up fast-track courts to ensure speedy justice in rape cases, calling the recent gang-rape a “shockingly extraordinary case”, I shuddered.

As a former journalist, I covered many such cases. I learnt that most rapists are people the victims know. I also learned that women should not talk to strangers, as that could provoke unwanted attention. I learnt that public transportation or autos should be avoided at night.

The conclusion is untenable: to be safe, women should avoid any interaction with known or unknown people, and avoid most forms of transportation after dark. Traveling with a male friend may not help: in the latest case, the friend was also assaulted.

I used to resent my parents for telling me not to go out till late, that Delhi is unforgiving and that I should be careful. Today, I understand their concerns. This makes me angry. But as a single woman in Delhi, I am still very scared.

Source: http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2012/12/18/i-am-scared-i-am-a-single-woman-in-delhi/?mod=WSJBlog&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wsj%2Findiarealtime%2Ffeed+%28WSJ.com%3A+India+Real+Time%29

Hitchhiker’s guide to India: stun gun, pocketknife, pepper spray

The American tourist who was gang-raped on Tuesday by three men on her way back to her hotel in Manali has picked all three of her attackers out of a police line-up. They will be produced in court on Friday. The police have been quick to make the arrests, impounding a brick-coloured mini-truck, and finding forensic evidence to link all three men to the crime, but the unfolding horror of India’s latest rape case isn’t making tourists feel any safer.
Vinod Dhawan, police superintendent in Kullu, said the brave 30-year-old Californian is expected to be in court on Friday to identify the men in front of a local magistrate. If justice runs its course, the three men — Arjun, Lakki and Som Bahadur Tamang — should feel the sting of India’s tougher anti-rape laws. The new measures passed by India in March set a minimum 20-year prison sentence for gang-rape. At the very least, the authorities need to implement the new law.
“I tried to convince my friends to come on a yoga holiday to India but they are totally psyched. India has a beautiful spiritual side, but the headlines are awfully disconcerting,” yoga instructor Amelia Bradley told Firstpost.

Foreign tourists to India, like this woman joining in Holi revelry, are increasingly feeling unsafe – and with good reason. Reuters

Some female tourists are taking extra precautions while travelling in India. Nancy Stevens, an American publicist visiting New Delhi, told The Wall Street Journal she had purchased a pocketknife, a stun-gun and a bottle of pepper spray before leaving for a three-week vacation to India. On balance, this isn’t crazy as I have a friend who commutes between the National School of Drama in Delhi and Noida in auto-rickshaws with a small khukri in her sun-washed messenger bag.
Fire-engine-red Gray Line New York sightseeing buses sporting Incredible India! ads get more than their share of admiring glances from curious Americans, but they can’t sweep away the depressing headlines coming out of India. One thing is clear. The cancellations have started.
Sarah Burnham, a product designer was planning to leave this weekend for India. She was scheduled to present workshops in Delhi and Mumbai but cancelled her trip.
“I find travelling in India stressful because of unwanted attention. You have to keep looking over your shoulder and it can be exhausting,” said Burnham. “My India trip is on hold for now.”
In the last decade, India has gone from a place that relatively few Americans visited to one of the top international destinations for US travellers — ahead of other locales like Brazil, Switzerland and Greece
However, the attacks have hit tourism as the world sees India as complacent about an unthinkable level of violence against women. A survey by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry found that travel agencies lost 25 percent of foreign tourist business in the first three months of this year compared to the same period in 2012. Bookings by women dropped 35 percent, the survey said following several rape attacks that have made global headlines.

“None of us expected things to change overnight, and for sexual violence to stop completely, but the fact that these cases appear to be increasing is certainly disappointing,” Kavita Krishnan, secretary of the All India Progressive Women’s Association, a woman’s rights group, told USA Today.

The Manali gang-rape follows the rape of a 21-year-old Irish charity worker in Kolkata over the weekend. In the last three months, a series of attacks on foreign tourists have been reported in India, including that of a Swiss cyclist, who was gang-raped in Madhya Pradesh.

In March, a British woman traveling in northern India jumped form a third-floor hotel window, fearing a sexual assault, after the hotel’s owner tried to force his way into her room. A South Korean tourist was allegedly drugged and raped in Madhya Pradesh in January by the son of the owner of a hotel where she was staying.

India needs to continue the encouraging activism and mass protests which erupted in Delhi in December after the fatal gang-rape of the medical student to make the country safer for women.

Source: http://www.firstpost.com/world/hitchhikers-guide-to-india-pocketknife-stun-gun-pepper-spray-849937.html

10 Ways Women Travelers Can Stay Safe in India

As soon as I cleared customs and grabbed my suitcase around 4:30 AM on a cool Tuesday morning at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport I walked past the throngs of people waiting for friends and relatives to emerge through the automatic doors and headed right past the non-sanctioned cabbies who milled around the taxi stand and continuously called out to me, “Ma’am, need a cab? “Ma’am….a cab?”

Of course, there was absolutely no way I would get into one of their cabs. Their cars had no numbers on them. I looked. They were hustling hard for tourists to hop in and earn a few rupees.  Seasoned traveler that I am I know it’s important to go to the cab stand at airports no matter where in the world you are from New York City to Rio. Sure, there is a small risk of being swindled into paying more, but it’s far better than trying to save a few bucks with a cheaper cabbie.

After paying and finding my numbered cab, I hopped in the back seat of one of Delhi’s traditional black and yellow taxis and made my way to my hotel slightly before the sun came up in a country I had never been to before. It wasn’t lost on me that I was a woman in the back of a cab in Delhi and that anything could happen. I just prayed that I would get to the hotel and everything would be fine. I had put myself in a vulnerable position. No one could help me then.

Thankfully, everything turned out fine, but I have heard stories where travelers haven’t been as lucky – that they had been robbed by the cabbie on the way to their hotel. Thankfully, nothing like that happened.

After spending five days in Delhi I learned how important it is to be safe. I had not worried about that anywhere else in the world, but Delhi is different. The amount of people has a lot to do with it coupled with being a woman . We have all heard about the horrific rape of the Delhi student who died because of her injuries earlier this year. Here are a few things I learned about staying safe in Delhi from women who live there.

    Don’t go out at night if you can help it unless you have your own car or driver.

    Try not to go out alone – especially at night.

    When using the Metro, ride the women’s cars. I learned this myself with Nicole Melancon after a very uncomfortable 45-minute Metro ride to east Delhi where men gawked at us mercilessly.

    Always hire a hotel driver to take you around town. It’s more expensive, but safer. Safety matters!

    Know where you are going! That is, know addresses and the general vicinity of where you are traveling to.

    Always ride with your windows up in private cars and cabs because people always try to sell you stuff when traffic stops. They may reach into the car or knock hard on the windows.

    Be wary of schemes and swindlers and second think everything. Use common sense. If it doesn’t sound right, don’t do it!

    Always let others know your whereabouts. That means even writing down and emailing cab numbers when you hop in.

    Cover up as much as possible unless you want Indian men staring at you and/ or following you down the street.

    Stay at a nice hotel. We stayed at the Radison Blu Dwarka. It was wonderful, safe, and had impeccable service. Don’t try to “rough it” with accommodations.

SONY DSC

I am lucky. I can blend into India very easily, especially if I put a head scarf on. I loved the care and attention and advice the male workers at the hotel gave us. They cautioned us not to walk around the hotel – mostly because it was hot – but also because it could be dangerous for two western women. They helped us secure private drivers and directions. They were great.

The best thing you can do for yourself when you’re traveling is walk fast and with purpose like you know where you’re going even if you don’t. Confidence can repel many who want to take advantage of western travelers.

Source: http://www.babble.com/babble-voices/perspectives-and-reflections-jennifer-james/2013/05/31/how-women-stay-safe-in-delhi/

Z level Security

The remarks came during the hearing of the petition filed by Ramveer Upadhyay, a minister in the previous Mayawati government who was stripped of his security cover when the Samajwadi Party came to power.

For representational purpose only. - DNA

A person cannot be entitled to Y or Z category security merely on the ground of being an ex-minister, the Supreme Court observed on Wednesday while declining to entertain the plea of a BSP leader from Uttar Pradesh.
"If you as a matter of fact are not entitled under the rule for security you cannot be given security. This can't be given at the expense of the state exchequer," a bench comprising justices Gyan Sudha Misra and Madan B Lokur said.
The remarks came during the hearing of the petition filed by Ramveer Upadhyay, a minister in the previous Mayawati government who was stripped of his security cover when the Samajwadi Party came to power.
The Bahujan Samaj Party leader has filed an appeal against the Allahabad High Court decision by which he was not provided any interim relief and the order on his petition has been reserved.
"The Special Leave Petition (SLP) is not fit to be entertained," the bench said while adding that it was "premature".
It also said if there were any threat perception to the former minister he was within his right to have private security at his expense.
However, the bench said the BSP leader has the liberty to move the Division Bench of the High Court for interim security during the vacation and the High Court can consider his plea, assessing the report of the committee which looks into threat perception.
"What exactly is the threat perception has to be decided by the authorities of state, the Centre, IB or concerned authority," the apex court said while making it clear that "prima facie" it was not satisfied with the arguments of the BSP leader for the need for X or Y category security.
"In our experience, we have hardly seen X or Y security for ordinary persons, however grave the threat perception," the bench observed during the hearing.
"It is a peculiar situation that you being a former MP or MLA will have security for life time," it further said.
Upadhyay was given Y security cover during Mayawati regime but the present Samajwadi Party government withdrew the protection and he was provided only an armed constable for his protection.
The court was told that he has been attacked several times and needed protection and the security was withdrawn because of political vendetta after the change of government in the state.
While X category protectee gets a security cover of two personnel, under Y category, there is one personal security officer and one armed guard. Z category entails a security cover of 26 personnel.

Source: http://www.dnaindia.com/india/1844167/report-can-t-get-y-or-z-security-just-because-you-are-an-ex-minister-supreme-court

Living la vida limo

The Capital’s first premium ‘limousine’ hire service takes businessmen and partygoers around in customized style

Past life

Sahdev Goli 25, studied at Doon School, Dehradun, and Amity University, New Delhi, going on to work as deputy manager of sales at Audi for two years and sales manager at Mercedes for around nine months.

Eureka moment

“I was in the UK two years ago when I saw a limo passing by. I messaged my dad and said: This is what I want to do,” says Goil.

Initially, he was stymied by the problem of Indian roads. “I didn’t know if a stretch car was legal or not. When I checked, I realized Indian roads wouldn’t allow proper stretch limos; there was no provision for them as far as the regulatory authorities were concerned.” He then adapted his idea—“I found the next best option: modified wagons.”

Genesis

Goil prepared a project report with the objective of finding out if people were willing to pay and hire cars such as these in India.

Sending questionnaires to companies he knew, he wrote to everyone from old school friends to their fathers to get a thorough sense of what his market was like.

His survey indicated that the National Capital Region (NCR) was ready.

“Disposable income was up, and people were interested,” Goil says.

Next, Goil combined his savings with some borrowed capital from his father, a brass hardware manufacturer, and with the addition of a bank loan, got to work. He bought three cars—two Tata vans and a Toyota Innova—which were customized by two different professional services.

Goil’s larger limos rework the chassis of the Tata vans, which are used in the commercial market but, he says, do not appeal visually on their own. “We made the limos look good inside and out,” he says. “We redid the shockers, so your ride is smoother.” They also improved the lighting, and used the single-frame glass that is common to limos worldwide to make them look longer. “They’re one-and-a-half times the size of an SUV, 19Kft long,” he says.

Presidential Wheels has three limos on hire: The less impressive two-seater Innova is used for airport drop-offs, sightseeing and out of Delhi trips; the “Corporate One” takes groups of up to five businessmen on the move around for meetings; and the party mobile Funk Wagon can accommodate up to eight for a night out. The Innova rents at Rs.4,000 for 8 hours and 80km (previously Rs.5,000) and the two larger cars can be hired for Rs.7,500 per 6 hours and 70km (previously Rs.9,000).

“Through discounted rates I hope to establish my presence in the market,” Goil explains. His affluent clients, totalling around 140 now, haven’t complained about the rates, though.

Each car comes with a privacy partition, a 22-inch LED TV with live broadcast, a DVD/MP3 player, surround sound system, bar-cum-fridge (no alcohol), intercom and charging points for phone and laptop. The ride includes a trained personal security officer, or PSO (optional for the Innova), which is a valuable bonus for young girls who sometimes rent his Funk Wagon for a safe night out, says Goil.

His staff includes two drivers, two PSOs and an accountant, as well as about six college students who do freelance advertising for the company.

Distinguished clients include British barrister Cherie Blair, singer Adnan Sami and music band Bombay Vikings.

Reality check

The young businessman would like a bigger range of cars. Also, it was difficult to deal with damages, so he is now careful about who the cars go to, requesting IDs and address proof as well as a signed agreement that makes the clients take responsibility for damages incurred.

Most of all, advertising is a hurdle; he can’t spend much on publicity because of budget constraints.

Plan B

“I’m sticking to Plan A.”

Secret sauce

Being the only service of its kind in the NCR.

Source: http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/NbnkcOYsVl2gLk9Lqu4BnK/Living-la-vida-limo.html

Home guards keep Delhi buses safe

The Delhi government took the decision to post home guards on buses following Nirbhaya’s gang-rape.

They sit quietly, keeping a careful watch on passengers as the bus travels thro­u­gh the city in the dead of the night, ready to intervene if anything goes wrong. The unifo­rmed men are Delhi governme­nt’s home guards posted on ni­ght buses to ensure the safety of commuters, especially women.

Around 120 home guards have been specially roped in to provide security on night buses run by 21 bus depots. The Delhi government took the decision to post home guards after the brutal gang-rape of a young woman in a moving bus in south Delhi on December 16, last year.

Wearing khaki uniforms, these home guards are deployed in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses from 11 pm to 7 am.

According to officials, the home guards are mostly selected through an entrance exam and then have to face an interview. The minimum qualification is Class X pass.

Those selected for the job then undergo 35 days defence and martial arts training. The home guards, who are not provided arms, are paid `300 per night.

There are 46 bus depots across Delhi, of which 21 ply buses during nights. “In night buses, lot of rogues or drunkards travel. We have to keep an eye on these persons,” he said.

Officials said Delhi’s Rajghat bus depot in central Delhi has the maximum number of home guards, 22, who travel on buses, while the Hasan Pur depot in east Delhi has the second highest number of 10 home guards.

“Around 50 buses head for the airport from Rajghat. So, the need for home guards is maximum here,” DTC spokesperson Anand Kumar said.

Safety for women

Since the service was introduced, no complaints have been reported so far by any woman commuter. The home guards are performing their duty well. Surprise checks are also conducted by transport department officials, ,” Delhi Transport Minister Ramakant Goswami said.

Source: http://postnoon.com/2013/05/15/home-guards-keep-delhi-buses-safe/125474

Bodyguards in Delhi

Bodyguards in Delhi NCR has become a necessity, given the lawlessness and the situation of porous borders, all business families, expats, international visitors , girls visiting parties, late night events are using bodyguards for protection. An Armed Bodyguard creates fearlessness in this crazy city.

Visit this page of Denetim Services to get more on this - Personal Security officer / Bodyguard 

Hired guns: Who will run a check on private guards employed by the rich?

 The rich have problems the rest of us don't adequately appreciate. Signifiers of wealth and status outlive their utility all too frequently. The material allure of expensive vehicles, clothes, accessories, elite education and club membership all fade considerably when others at a dinner party also possess them.

It is at the cusp of this problem and a unique Delhi VIP culture exacerbated by the ubiquitous movement of political figures with their armed commandos, that the trend of personal security officer was born. By all accounts, the number of businessmen opting to keep a posse of armed private security personnel wherever they go has risen dramatically in recent years


 Many choose to mimic the movement of political heavyweights, driving in a convoy with two white Maruti Gypsy jeeps, and outfitting private guards in safari suits to resemble the commandos of the elite Special Protection Group.
Several exclusive urban enclaves, where the protected gather for work or pleasure, are now overwhelmed with armed PSOs. This gives rise to problems that range from the banal to the potentially fatal. The entire business appears to operate in a legal grey area, and the Supreme Court this week took suo moto cognisance of the deadly Chhattarpur shootout that killed businessman Ponty Chadha and his brother, asking the Union home ministry to clarify the guidelines under which such guards were operating.



People look at it as a status symbol. It's all about how many blonde women are on your arm and how many PSOs are around you. This has become a nuisance for everyone," said AD Singh, the restaurateur who runs Olive, and together with actor Arjun Rampal, the popular Delhi nightclub Lap. His establishments do not allow PSOs. When the Capital's nightclubs barred entry of PSOs after fights broke out between such guards, hotel lobbies used to resemble a convention of bodybuilders with dated sartorial taste. Now, many five-star hotels prohibit PSOs from entering and waiting in the lobby.
In Mumbai, this problem is unheard of. India's richest industrialists are rarely seen with a security guard with a concealed firearm. "That's true, but some of the younger members from the big families have started moving around with entourages," Singh, who also runs establishments in that city, said.
In Delhi, the trend has become so widespread that even those who don't need to employ guards on a monthly basis sometimes hire them on a daily basis. Nivedita Kaul, who describes herself as a young entrepreneur, takes an armed guard along when she goes out.
"Delhi is not a safe city and people don't give women the respect they deserve. I have had people stalk me and harass me, and ever since I started having a guard, my life has become really peaceful. In this city, if you are a young woman trying to do something on your own, you need protection," she said. Kaul takes her guard along when she goes to the market or to social dos in the evenings. An armed guard can be hired for upwards of Rs 1,000 per day.
Security Agencies

There are legitimate businessmen who feel the need for armed guards when they must travel by road to distant factories. JCT Mills MD Sameer Thapar, who is a former shooter himself, carries a .357 magnum revolver and is accompanied by PSOs when he travels. "I take a spare vehicle and guards when I have to spend time on the highway, travelling to my factory in Punjab. In Delhi, I never use them," he says



 Airport operator GMR, for instance, needs so many guards that it runs its own security company— Raxa Security Services Ltd. Reliance Industries employ a large number of highly trained armed guards at its refineries and exploration sites. The Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act of 2005 made the industry an organised one, but data on the size and employees are hard to come by. The Act itself is silent on the use of firearms by security guards. The arms used by PSOs and other armed security guards are licensed to them personally.
States are expected to lay down specific guidelines. Such guidelines for Delhi are also silent about the use of arms by security guards. "The law doesn't say anything about the use of arms by guards. There is no provision for it, but it is not prohibited," said GP Singh, additional secretary at Delhi government's home department, who is authorised to grant licences to security agencies operating in the city. There are 335 agencies with such licences, while nearly double that number are awaiting licences.


Source: http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-11-24/news/35332554_1_security-guard-psos-security-agencies

From the Anti-Rape Bra to Chastity Belts: How Women Use Clothing for Protection

“You might find a bit of armor useful when you become queen,” Cersei Lannister recently told a female rival on Game of Thrones. But her advice could just as easily apply to women from all walks of life—particularly now, in the aftermath of a series of high-profile sexual assaults around the world. In a reflex response to the quest for a societal aegis, a number of contemporary clothing designers have found armor (or a variation thereof) useful as a form of protection for women. Most recently, three Indian engineering students designed a bra even more kick-ass than the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms’ chest plate. The so-called Society Harnessing Equipment (SHE) reportedly delivers 82 shocks in response to an unwanted touch and was designed as “retaliation against menaces in society” after last year’s gang rape in Delhi.

Still, she accedes that what you wear can serve as a shield without the garments being literally rigged. “There are ways that I might clothe myself that are aesthetically pleasing, but also don’t highlight certain aspects of my sexual body. That’s a form of armor. It’s like armor lite,” she says. One of the examples she offered was the uniform worn by ’90s riot grrrls, the feminist punk rockers whose bands, including Bikini Kill and Sleater-Kinney, regularly spoke out against rape and in support of empowerment. These were the women who made flowing “tentlike” baby-doll dresses and “kick ass” combat boots fashionable.

Along those lines, Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, dismissed protective clothing as being outside the realm of fashion. Instead she thinks contemporary fashion’s “psychological aspects of protection” are more pertinent than its physical aspects. “The early theories of fashion tended to focus on the idea that dress was originally and primarily about protection, meaning essentially physical protection,” she tells The Daily Beast, and gives the example of shoes protecting feet. “Later theorists pretty much rejected the functional origins of dress and suggested instead that dress is much more about symbolic communication, particularly to display gender, sexuality, position in society, et cetera.”

Fashion can empower, even if it can’t protect. The little black dress is “like armor” in the sense that it bestows confidence on its wearer, Steele says. Not to mention Yves Saint Laurent’s iconic pantsuit, which started the ball rolling toward equality couture. In 1966 the French designer created a tuxedo suitable for women, called Le Smoking, which, according to Vogue, for the first time positioned the so-called second sex “at glittering galas standing lapel-to-lapel with a roomful of men in black.” In the 1980s Le Smoking became the power suit, and those glittering galas became executive offices. All this is not to say that men’s clothing has not historically served a physically protective function.


In the past, sporting male attire enabled women to camouflage their vulnerability, which was considered synonymous with their gender. Evidence suggests that to protect herself from being raped by 15th-century prison guards, French saint Joan of Arc dressed in drag. Several other women throughout history have also cross-dressed to ease their movement through society. Such was the case with Isabelle Eberhardt, who traveled through North Africa in the late 19th century, and author George Sand, in the same era, whose masculine garb supposedly became her VIP pass to male-only venues.

ven Queen Victoria’s parasol was equipped with chain mail, which was created for her in the 1840s after she survived several attempts on her life. “Possibly made by a manufacturer, or perhaps devised by her husband, Prince Albert, the parasol incorporates a layer of chain mail between the outer green silk cover and the lining,” Ehrman told The Daily Beast via email. “The parasol is very heavy, 1468 grams [3 pounds], and difficult to hold upright so the Queen probably never used it.”

Though the effectiveness of defensive female fashion, even when it is used, may never be quantified, there is a danger that this genre of clothing directly contradicts the feminist adage that rape has nothing to do with what women wear. However, Tarrant, an associate professor of women’s studies at the California State University, thinks inventions like SHE and Tsukioka’s vending-machine skirt serve a similar purpose to SlutWalk (the protest march dates back to 2011, when women in Toronto purposefully wore revealing clothing to fight the myth that rape depends on dress). “The solution is not to have Kevlar fashion,” Tarrant said, “but to the extent that SlutWalk put [rape] on the table for discussion, I think the same holds true for the anti-rape fashion.”

Source: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/06/05/from-the-anti-rape-bra-to-chastity-belts-how-women-use-clothing-for-protection.html

Women in black

Shazia doesn't like to reveal too much about her work. She's 37, single mother to a 12-yearold boy, and she's a bodyguard. Smart and articulate in English, she hedges questions about work just the way she probably skirts a threat to her clients. "Most times I have accompanied rich kids to schools and colleges and anywhere else they want to go. Sometimes, the parents want a bodyguard because the children are spoilt, or because they want their daughters protected fearing some kind of trouble," she says. Asked about which celebs or prominent people she has accompanied, she says, "No names."

 It's no secret that celebrities and corporate leaders have bodyguards, but what's new is that there's a growing demand for women bodyguards in urban India. Rising incomes, business or property disputes, fear of kidnapping, increasing crime against women and a lax law and order machinery are some factors prompting people to look for extra security for their loved ones. And as some find the presence of bulky bodyguards and hulking bouncers intimidating, lady bodyguards fit in easily into this space. "It's easier for them to gel with families; female children and female celebrities are more comfortable with them," says Ramesh Iyer, MD of Topsgrup, India's largest security group. Charlie's Angels they might not be, nor are they likely to wear high heels, camouflage fatigues, red nail polish and carry submachine guns like Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi's female bodyguards. Also, unlike the professionally trained female commandos who safeguard politicians and leaders like Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina and her Thai counterpart Yingluck Shinawatra, private lady bodyguards in India are more likely to be without firearms, unless they are former commandos and have licensed weapons.

Anurag Singh, director of Secura Security in Delhi, which provides security services, says, "We ask for a minimum qualification of Class X pass and an ability to read English even if she cannot speak the language well." Some of those who apply are former sportswomen and a few are those into body-building , according to Kamran Siddique, director of Royal Detective and Securitas in Delhi. He adds, "We have mostly women from Haryana and UP who have a good physique and can talk tough." Once they sign up, the agencies put them through a training of about 15-20 days. Singh says, "As they have to spend time with VIPs and the rich, they are given grooming tips - on dress sense, body language, how to make eye contact, how to speak." They also train in self-defence techniques and martial arts like judo and karate. "Sometimes, a person needs more than one bodyguard. So these women are also taught how to communicate among themselves in code language. They are told that the first priority in the event of an attack is to save the client. Use of firearms, if they have them, is the last option, and in that, too, the first choice is to shoot in the air," says Singh. Those without firearms carry a pepper spray, says Siddiqui.

Brand companies offer higher levels of training, as per the Private Security Agencies (regulation) Act. Ramesh Iyer of Topsgrup says, "The training involves counter-surveillance , bomb search and skills like detecting something that's amiss. Also, there's disaster management, CPR, first aid, fire prevention, protective driving, etc." Some experts, though, feel few understand the real science of being a bodyguard. "Hindi movies have a different, even glamorous, take on bodyguards, as in Salman Khan's Bodyguard. Being one does not mean the license to kill. It means to save the client, to remove him from danger; one has to know subduing and immobilizing techniques , not hitting," says Cyrus Rustomji , a Mumbai-based Ninjutsu expert who conducts training sessions for bodyguards. He feels the concept of female bodyguards is just beginning in India but "mentally and constitutionally , they are stronger than men."

Shazia, who has trained in kung fu, agrees: "It's a matter of self-confidence . Earlier my family was against this job. But I haven't faced any major problems at work. Besides, I feel, women bodyguards give correct reports to the clients such as parents." The biggest factor working in their favour is the comfort the client feels with them. "College-going girls don't mind the presence of a woman while they are talking on the phone. Parents trust women guards more with their children," says Singh. Adds Siddiqui: "Female executives travelling alone by road, say, to Noida, prefer female guards." Then there are celeb visits , film star nights, parties, college shows where their services are required. On the whole, says Siddiqui, he gets about five to seven requests a month for lady bodyguards.

The demand may not be as high as that for male bodyguards , but the money's good. Rajiv Mathur, director of 24 Secure Services Pvt Ltd in Delhi, says, "If the client wishes , the salary can be Rs 25,000-30 ,000 a month." Shazia earns up to Rs 30,000 a month, charging Rs 1500 for an 8-hour shift. Some even live with the clients 24x7, such as NRI children left alone in the city.

But though the demand for female bodyguards is still limited to the premium segment, Shazia and her band of toughies are hopeful of better times. As Iyer says, "For families and wives of industrialists, it could really be about security , but for some celebs, it's like a status symbol." That works just fine for Shazia.

Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-27/special-report/30446947_1_bodyguards-vips-body-language

My inexplicable fascination with dictators - Female Bodyguards

I am fascinated by dictators. I can't really explain it. There is something about the way a person's mind works that allows him to turn into - as the dictionary defines it - "a ruler with total power over a country" that I find intriguing.
There could be arguments for nature versus nurture: Would these people have turned out differently if the situations they were living in were different? Or would they still have morphed into what they are regardless? Is the son of a tyrant more likely to be a tyrant than the son of a farmer or a teacher?
I guess what makes them fascinating is their complete and total self-belief. A willingness and determination to set a course for their country, which they undoubtedly believe to be the best (but hardly ever is, because their background does not prepare them for making such decisions) and to then force people towards accomplishing this vision.
The fact that this seems to be harming the country is seen as short-term pain that must be endured in order for the longer-term utopia to be reached.
But while this pain is borne by the weak, the strong are well-protected, isolated from hardship, and continue to support the destructive regime.
Where does anyone get off unilaterally deciding the fate of millions? What is the size of an ego that would allow a person to think that he unequivocally knows best? Why are doubt and remorse emotions that seem not to exist within these people? Why is it that they are willing to achieve these goals at any expense, including the blood of their own countrymen? Why do they think they know better than everyone else?
The most extreme case is North Korea, which is like The Truman Show applied to an entire country, but is heartbreaking as opposed to entertaining. Nobody can leave, unless the state permits it, and if they try to do so it is at their own peril.
I don't so much care about dictators when they fall, because they basically made their own bed, but I do worry about the people. I cannot imagine what will happen to them when one day the walls come down. Their only reality is the one they have been force-fed by their government, and if that were to topple I can't imagine the degrees of disbelief, fear, , denial, rejection and, I hope, acceptance that would be endured.
Another example a lot of people in the region would be familiar with is Libya. Friends who worked there would come back with fantastical stories about decisions like cars being shared by everyone; so people were instructed to leave keys in the cars so that anyone needing a car could just jump in and use it. Needless to say, cars were suddenly in scarce supply as people took to hiding them.
More well known are Muammar Qaddafi's Green Book and his disturbing demand for female bodyguards. There, the toppling of a dictator left a dangerous power vacuum hindering the country and stalling its progress, perhaps for years.
In such places the control over public opinion is very obvious in the "us vs them" mentality that becomes almost cultish. "Outsiders are trying to oppress us. Outsiders are trying to force their ideals on us. Our leadership is trying to resist because they have the best interest of the people at heart." Of course in such countries poverty and illiteracy are rampant, while a small group of people flourish, but arguments are phrased in terms that hit a note with the audience, convincing them that their way of life could be worse if someone else were in charge.
Which brings us to the fatal mix of charisma and fear. People are afraid of dictators - they don't make a point of baking cakes with orphans - but they do have a surprising amount of charisma. They don't have to be particularly smart, but what they do have is street smarts. They know how to manipulate people, playing groups off against each other to ensure their own survival, regardless of the price.
Let me be clear, in spite of ridiculous titles like "Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Seas" (which belonged to Uganda's Idi Amin) these people should be taken seriously because nobody earns the title "dictator" for being a nice guy. We may not think much of them as human beings, but we should never underestimate the possible harm they can cause, as the recent rise of tensions with North Korea has reaffirmed. But we shouldn't wait for such acts of aggression to try to counterbalance such destructive people. Rarely have such people proven beneficial for their countrie

Read more: http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/comment/my-inexplicable-fascination-with-dictators#ixzz2VhCLLVJJ

Forget pepper spray, Delhi girls want bodyguards

The next time you see a beefy guy with a girl at a Delhi nightclub, don't just assume it's her over-possessive BF. Chances are that he's her security guard !

You hear the word bodyguard and images of Salman Khan following a very irritated Kareena Kapoor from the film Bodyguard comes to the mind. While the Bollywood version was as unrealistic as can be, in Delhi, the security business is getting more practical and personal security guards are in demand now. Initially, bodyguards or Private Security Officers (PSOs) were associated with business tycoons, political bigwigs and celebrities, but these days single women in the city consider it safe to have a security guard accompany them on their nights out and official engagements.

But now, girls consider personal security guards a need. Thoda research karne pe pata chalta hai that it doesn't even cost that much, so they are all the more willing. People ask us all the qualifications of our officers. We have registered employees, so that is a benefit for convincing people. The point is that a person feels more secure just because they know they have a trained professional to look after them."

Bodyguards-cum-drivers

Tehrima, an event manager, tells us, "Usually my work starts late evening and I need to step out to meet my clientele at various clubs at night. It becomes very unsafe for me to drive alone at night, and hence, I hired a bodyguard-cum-driver who escorts me to various destinations. I did a bit of research and found a person who was physically fit enough to be a guard and he could drive too. Since this combination suited me and fit my budget as well, I went ahead and hired him. Now, I feel more safe while commuting at night and my parents are less worried too."

 Source : http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-03-03/people/37409819_1_security-guard-bodyguard-psos

Gurgaon cracks whip on 55 security agencies

Fifty-five private security agencies have been blacklisted for failing to get themselves registered with the Haryana police despite several extension of deadlines. The agencies include some of the reputed private agencies operating in Gurgaon.
Sources said the city police would make the list public and appeal to people not to engage these agencies for any work. The police have prepared the list of errant security agencies after conducting a 15-day survey in Gurgaon.

Police commissioner S S Deswal said that those who had already applied would get one month's time to complete all the formalities. "All those who fail to meet the requirement and complete the registration will be out of business in the district," he said.
According to the Haryana Private Security Agencies Rules, 2009, it's mandatory for all such entities to be registered with the state police to operate in Haryana. A government spokesperson said all security agencies operating in Gurgaon had been advised for almost two years to obtain licences from the police, but many security agencies in the city had not even applied for it.
"Several RWAs and companies have been complaining about inadequate services by several such agencies. There are instances where private security agency guards have been found indulging in acts of thefts, burglaries and even murders on the premises protected by such guards," said the spokesperson.
A senior police officer said these agencies were not complying with standards of training, education and verification of security guards. However, Kunwar Vikram Singh, the chairman of the Central Association of Private Security Industry, assured Deswal during a meeting that all those firms who had applied for licences would complete the process by this month-end.
Earlier, additional DGP (law & order) B S Sandhu had told TOI that it would be impossible for security agencies to work in Haryana if they failed to get the necessary licence within the given timeframe.
According to estimates, over 250 security agencies have deployed their guards in the NCR cities of Haryana. Only in Gurgaon, the number of private guards is 10 times more than that of police personnel. About 35,000 private security guards work in Gurgaon while the total deployment cops in the city is around 3,100.

Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-10-04/gurgaon/30242456_1_security-agencies-private-security-industry-number-of-private-guards