The man entrusted with the task of maintaining law and order in the national capital, has sought protection for himself.

Yes, Delhi Police Commissioner K K Paul  has sought protection for himself and his family as he is facing a threat — not from a terrorist or a criminal — but from one of his own inspectors who is “absconding” for the past eight months.

According to a communique received from Delhi Police headquarters, Paul, a 1970 batch IPS officer, has sought immediate security cover for himself and his family from the Union home ministry due to a threat from Inspector Balbir Singh, who openly opposed his move to  suspend Devendra Manchanda, another inspector.

Devendra  Manchanda subsequently committed suicide on October 12 last year and his family moved the Delhi High Court against Paul for allegedly harassing him and driving him to take the extreme step.

‘Victimising juniors’
At that time, some more Delhi police officials, including Singh, spoke out against the Delhi Police Commissioner and accused him of “victimising” junior staff officers for not following his orders, official sources said.

Balbir Singh, who was shifted from Rajouri Garden to the Delhi Police Training School, came out openly against Paul in October last year.

Balbir Singh had claimed that he had been victimised for not following an alleged illegal order issued by the police commissioner, sources added.

The Delhi Police Commissioner K K Paul, now set for a five-year tenure as a member of the Union Public Service Commission, has claimed that Balbir Singh is planning to cause harm to him and his family and therefore, adequate security should be provided to him and his family members.

A letter written by a Deputy Commissioner of Police to the Home Ministry has sought an immediate assessment of the threat to Paul, as well as immediate security cover for the latter and his kin.

Y-security
Sources in the ministry said the request had been passed on to security agencies, but Paul would  at best be provided Y- category security because of professional hazards for a period of six months.

Meanwhile, Balbir Singh has been untraceable since he openly criticised Paul.

The Delhi police were directed by the Delhi High Court to find Balbir Singh after his family sought the court’s intervention as they feared that he had either been picked up or was being tortured by police officials, a charge denied by the Delhi police.