Justice’s case

Criminals generally tend to be one step ahead of police because perpetrators, to begin with, are planners. Yet, in many instances, culprits are arrested even before they commit a crime through effective intelligence. The successful outcome of Bam’s murder case has certainly enhanced the trust of the people in the Nepal Police. I congratulate and extend my salute to the investigation team and appreciate the outstanding command of top level managers at the Nepal Police.

Bam’s heinous murder had created a panic-stricken environment in the country. The attack site was a lonely area. The attacker first blocked the Judge’s car and instantly shot the armed bodyguard who was about to react for his gun; then, several shots were fired upon the Judge. An injured Bam ran and screamed for help but more shots were fired until he fell to the ground. The nature of the attack indicated the involvement of a professional team: a trained shooter motivated by vengeance.

This arrest of the criminals has thus sent a message to the general public that the police are there to protect people and property, constantly guided by norms and values of police culture with a sense of fulfilling their duty towards the public. Simultaneously, it sends a chilling message to criminals that they cannot remain safe all the time. Likewise, this incident also sends a message to Very Important Persons (VIPs) to build security and not be complacent. They cannot forget the multiple instances of people slapping politicians.

Detailed plan

Police investigation principles cover the four Is and one E: information, interrogation, instrumentation, instinct, and experience. The police do not have a magical wand to uncover the truth; it is done through professional efforts combined with the use of the aforementioned methods and public support. That is why ‘investigation is 99 percent perspiration and one percent inspiration’. Unless the culprit is arrested, rigorous efforts of the investigating officers all go

in vain.

To illustrate, the Inspector General of the Nepal Police Upendra Kanta Aryal, during a press meet, mentioned that the case of the judge’s murder took almost three years with extensive use of resources—99 percent perspiration to unfold the truth and one percent the efforts to apprehend the culprits, resulting in 100 percent success.

Accurate information is also critical for criminals to collect information, spot weaknesses, select attack site, plan, and carry out their attacks. They learn about the target’s residence, work place, analyse patterns, spot predictable routines and schedules, and note the routes used and modes of travel. Criminals collect information of a target’s daily routine, like the time of going to the office and returning home, visits to restaurants, buying newspapers at shops, and visiting temples, just as the late judge had the habit of going to Bagalamukhi Temple every Thursday. Assassins had selected his scheduled visit to the temple for the attack. The selection of the attack site was near the UN Park because of its favourable surroundings, minimum movement of vehicles, and few pedestrians in the area. The criminal team executed their attack plan by shoting the judge, his bodyguard, and then escaping from the scene.

Threat management

The judge’s case underscores the need for an orientation package for personal protection for high-profile personnel, their drivers, and bodyguards. VIPs must not solely depend upon bodyguards, because if the VIP is aware of security, the security layer becomes more effective. The VIP must not keep their security personnel unaware about their schedules unless absolutely essential. There are many instances of high-profile individuals being assassinated due to a complacent attitude and undermining the advice of security personnel. Drivers of VIP must also be trained in defensive driving and evasive action. The VIP, bodyguard, and driver will be able to learn and use changes in schedule, routine, timing, be alert in probable attack points, traffic intersection, traffic congestion, bridges, one way street, or narrow roads. There are threat indicators that denote suspicious activities. VIPs must focus their attention on the surroundings, be alert if motorbikes, beggars, or road vendors come near the car as they could be threat indicators.

My parent unit, the Nepal Police’s and later, Armed Police’s, professional experience impulse leads me to point out the need to form a Threat Management Committee to revamp existing security arrangements for VIPs and manage various threats, crises, and major incidents through a proactive multi-agency approach to counter criminals before they commit crimes. It would be effective to implement a VIP Threat Assessment Matrix and Assessment Questionnaire. Although security cannot be completely foolproof, the level and probability of threats can certainly be controlled and minimised with proactive security measures. Therefore, consider security as ‘S for Safe, E for Evasive Action, C for Counter surprise, and U for Unveil attack recognition through R Route Analysis and I Identifying threat indicators to T Terminate Threats and Y Yield up

the enemy.

Lama is a former Inspector General of the Armed Police Force