Bihar Special Armed Police to guard Mahabodhi temple, Darbhanga airport

PATNA: The Bihar Special Armed Police (BSAP) was on Thursday given the responsibility to handle security at the world-heritage Mahabodhi temple at Bodh Gaya and Darbhanga airport under the provisions of the Bihar Special Armed Police Act 2021.
The Bihar Military Police (BMP) has been renamed as BSAP under the new Act.
Though the Act came into force in March this year, notifications for deployment of BSAP personnel at the two places were issued by the home department on Thursday.Under the Act, BSAP officers — havildars and officers above this rank — have been given special power to search, seize and arrest suspects without search warrants or orders from judicial magistrates.
BSAP officers, however, will be able to use the power vested with them for security of government-notified installations only.
The Bihar Special Armed Police Bill-2021 had created a furore in the state assembly during the monsoon session in the last week of March this year. Additional police forces were called to the office of the Speaker, for the first time, to bring the situation under control. Several legislators had accused the police of misbehaviour and assault, leading to injuries to a few of them. The opposition had also organised a day-long bandh on the issue.
According to the Act, BSAP personnel will be deployed for security at airports, industrial establishments, temples, places of historical and cultural importance. According to the notifications issued on Thursday, the Mahabodhi temple at Bodh Gaya and Darbhanga airport have been notified as specified installations, which required extra security cover.
Additional director general (headquarters) J S Gangwar said, “The new Act has emboldened the security set up of the government-notified installations in the state. BSAP will be able to do their special job more professionally and thoroughly with special powers given to them.”
A senior police officer said suspects detained for interrogation will be handed over to the police station concerned for further legal action after evidence of their involvement in suspicious activities was found within the premises of government-notified installations.
“The Act gives an independent identity to the BSAP,” he said, adding that Thursday's order will not affect the routine policing carried out by the personnel deployed at police stations on law and order duty.
Earlier, the special power to search, seize or arrest any suspect without search warrants or orders obtained from the court was not given to havildars and other junior-rank officers. Only the officers in the rank of DSP and above were entitled to do so.
Moreover, the new Act has made it clear that the BSAP officers will act much like the officers of the CISF at airports. This will help the BSAP officers ensure better security cover to the government-notified installations, which were not the case earlier.