Police Dog Squad of Zanjeer Fame Turns 50
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* THE TIMES OF INDIA, MUMBAI 4 TIMES CITY WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2009 Police dog squad of Zanjeer fame turns 50 Tejal Pandey Nitasha Natu | TNN that they attend not more than two to three calls a day.Three THEN AND NOW Mumbai: Five-year-old Max of them — Prince, Max and VOICES OF HANDLERS had been to the Taj before, but Lyka — played an instrumen- STRENGTH OF THE DOG never in the midst of continu- tal role in detecting explosives ous firing. On November 26, during the 26/11 attacks,’’ said SQUAD FROM 1959 to 2009 During terror attacks like the 26/11, 2008, when the Labrador Re- Steven Anthony,senior inspe- G Mumbai police’s dog squad the dog might find it difficult to triever trotted down the hotel ctor of the BDDS. has been operational since concentrate on work when there are lobby,he did what he knew the Prince had detected explo- December 9, 1959. There were best — sniffing out explosives. sives outside the Trident at just three dogs— Kumar, Bindo bullets and grenades raining all Max helped his handler, around 10.30 pm on 26/11. The and Rajah — in the squad then. around him. The handler’s experience Subhash Gawde of the bomb area was cordoned off and the All three were Doberman and attitude is very important in such detection and disposal squad explosives were covered with Pinschers and were gifted by (BDDS), round up a large stock ballistic shields. This minimi- a situation. He has to divert the dog’s the Doberman Pinscher Club of grenades strewn across the sed the impact of the blast. On through the Maharaja of Baria. attention from the firing and ground floor.Max also located November 27, Lyka located a They were only used for a haversack outside the hotel, haversack on the rear side of encourage him to focus on sniffing containing 8 kilos of RDX, whi- the Taj, containing a bomb, tracking, or in other words, out explosives. solving criminal cases. ch was diffused immediately. which was diffused. A week lat- Subhash Gawde | BOMB DETECTION AND DISPOSAL SQUAD “One of the terrorists flung a er, while the Railway authori- G With a rise in terrorism, grenade at us. I jumped over ties were returning luggage to sniffer dogs were trained for The worst moment for us is to watch the hotel wall and Max fol- victims who had left it behind detecting explosives and our dogs die, and each handler has to lowed. A second later,the gren- at CST, Prince found a bag narcotic substances. In 1993, the ade struck exactly where we which contained a bomb. bomb detection and disposal go through this more than once in his were standing,’’ Gawde said. The crime branch has been squad (BDDS) had six dogs, career. It feels like a limb is being torn For Max and his counter- mourning the loss of two of its including Zanjeer who shot to from your body. I couldn’t stop crying parts in the Mumbai police, stars — Rocky and Deepa. In fame. The state intelligence Wednesday is going to be a sig- 2008, Rocky had traced a two- department (SID) had two dogs. POWER PLAY: The explosives unit dog squad interacts with their handlers on Monday when our star dog, Rocky, suddenly nificant day. On this day, 50 year-old child from Chembur While these dogs were used for died of a heart attack on the hospital years ago, the first police dog who had been kidnapped, rap- squad had first come into ex- ed and dumped in the BARC sniffing out explosives, the bed last year. crime branch had five dogs of A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SNIFFER DOG istence. From three dogs, the jungle, 5 kilometres from her N Dengle | MUMBAI CRIME BRANCH their own, used only for squad has grown to 16 sniffers home. Rocky had also traced a FOOD | The day starts with a DAILY SCHEDULE | A police attend bomb calls or solve cases and eight more pups are being flower-seller who provided key tracking. breakfast of milk. About 750 gram dog’s day starts early. Each dog in a van. They return for lunch. We spend almost all our time with the trained to join the team soon. clues in the murder case of Ki- G Currently, BDDS has seven of boneless meat is divided into has two handlers who work in After an afternoon nap, they dogs, right since their training days While earlier the dogs were ran Khanna, an ex-censor bo- dogs (all male Labrador could be sent to attend more duty used only for solving criminal ard member, in Worli in 2008. two portions for lunch and shifts. The dog responds only to when they are pups. So, there is a Retrievers) at their South calls. The day ends at around 9-10 cases, the focus has moved to When the sniffers retire, dinner. About 250 gram of boiled his handlers. Mumbai headquarters and four pm, depending on the work. very strong emotional attachment. sniffing out explosives and nar- they are looked after by the co- vegetables, rice and dal, and 400 After waking up around 6 am, the at their Goregaon unit for gram of bread are provided. dogs are taken to the toilet. On days when there’s low work If we happen to go on a long vacation cotics. They are also roped in ps themselves. “We put them sniffing out explosives. Eight to check malls, multiplexes, up for adoption, but have to be Branded dog food is also given. For the next two hours, they pressure, the dogs have a and return to work after a fortnight pups are being trained to join Mantralaya and jails during careful that they won’t be made Fruits and bones are given for undergo practice sessions. At playtime session in the evenings the Goregaon unit. The crime or so, the dogs start barking madly anti-sabotage operations. A to work. Most families are not chewing. Seasonal variations around 8.30 am, they have a where their leash is taken off and branch has five dogs, which are slew of hoax calls has only put too keen on adopting old dogs. such as curd rice during summer breakfast of milk. Duty starts they are given tennis balls. They as if to inquire why we were away. more pressure on the dogs. We accomodate them in the used only for tracking. are offered. soon after. The dogs are sent to go to sleep after dinner. Ajit Nigudkar | BOMB DETECTION AND DISPOSAL SQUAD “Our dogs work in shifts so same kennels,’’ an officer said. 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