New Delhi: With campaigning all set to intensify as the assembly polls beckon, a maiden contingent of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) women commandos trained in VIP security will soon be deployed with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other high-risk facing personalities, including former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, for multiple duties.
According to official sources, the CRPF women commandos’ contingent will also be accompanying these dignitaries during their visits to the five states, including Uttar Pradesh, where the assembly elections are due early next year, PTI reported.
The first-ever contingent of 32 women commandos, raised by the CRPF in its VIP security wing, will now be tasked to guard its protectees, based in Delhi, who receive the top Z+ cover.
These women commandos, who have completed their 10-week training in rendering VIP security duties, unarmed combat, body frisking and special weapons firing, will now be deployed on the ground sometime in January next year, said sources.
Sources added the women commandos will initially be deployed with its Z+ category protectees based in Delhi like the Union Home Minister, the first family of Congress and the former prime minister as well as his wife Gursharan Kaur.
These Z+ category protectees due to their high-risk profile also are provided with an advanced security liaison protocol.
Sources further said about a dozen other Z+ category CRPF protectees will also have this women commando contingent on a rotational basis.
These commandos, carrying arms, ballistic protection and other gadgets as required on the job like their male counterparts, will frisk the female visitors and will also be part of the overall security detail of the VIP's house during tours when deployed for house protection.
Sources further said these commandos will provide proximate security to the protectee, especially in the case of Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi.