Mumbai: Joint commissioner of police (crime) Rakesh Maria recently said it is time for the police to focus on human intelligence rather than technical aspects. "There is no substitute to the human network and intelligence," he said. But the move to form a bank of informers, shortly after the November 26 attacks, seems to have run aground because the informers say they do not trust the new crop of police officers and fear their identities will get exposed.

"We informers also do a check on the officers we interact with - their networks, intelligence, understanding of crime and their ability to keep our identities protected.

People like encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar had these qualities. We are not sure about the other officers," says JS, an informer who was close to Salaskar.

Informers were an integral part of Mumbais police force, especially when the encounter specialists team was formed. "An informer needs a good rapport with the officer he interacts with. Today, given the kind of lobbying that goes on inside the force, they dont even think twice before leaking our names to their seniors or even the accused," says informer Papu Mumbra.

One such recent case has been that of Salim Langda aka Salim Colabawalla. He stayed in a room in the Azad Nagar slum near Colaba market. He had purchased a boat and ferried people between the Gateway of India and Colaba. In 2007,officers of the Special Branch say, Salim was contacted by the oil mafia and asked to ferry two Indonesians who planned to blow up the American Consulate. The Indonesians were later deported after Salim informed two Intelligence officers. But the episode cost Salim his life. He is survived by a teenaged son who has cerebral palsy and two school-going daughters. His wife, Mumtaz, now fends for the family by renting out three rooms they own. "With the old officers either retired or dead, nobody remembers us anymore. The police have even forgotten the awards they were to bestow on Salim," says a teary Halima. "He had told me he was to get a big monetary award for one assignment he had done for the anti-narcotics cell. But we have got nothing."

Informers say the crime branch has a secret fund to monetarily compensate them. But most informers have never received anything. "Officers like Salaskar paid from their own pocket. They would send us to the Konkan, Goa or Gujarat on any tip-off to get more information," says JS. "Today, most informers have gone underground. Except for one or two top officers, most cops do not even know us. It is definitely one of the worst times for informers. We are waiting to see if things change."
Source : Central