 "SPG")
The Maharashtra government will upgrade actor Shah Rukh Khan's security cover to the Y+ category given the "imminent and probable threats" to his life, according to officials.
Khan is purportedly a target of gangsters from the Mumbai underworld due to the success of his recent films, Pathan and Jawan, an official said. The security cover is given on a payment basis. Khan will have to pay for his security, the official added.
The decision to step up Khan's security was taken last week after a review of it in a high-powered committee meeting, the official said. According to a Bureau of Police Research and Development report, the levels of security coverage provided in India, in ascending order, are X, Y, Y-plus, Z, Z-plus and the Special Protection Group (SPG).
Here is a detailed look at the security cover provided to various personalities by the government
Special Protection Group (SPG)
After the latest amendment to the Special Protection Group Act, the SPG provides security only to the prime minister of the day and the immediate family members residing with him/her. It is a force of 3,000 security personnel with a squad of highly trained dogs. The SPG was raised in 1985 after Indira Gandhi's assassination. The SPG was established in 1988 by an Act of the Indian Parliament.
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The Central Government has full authority over the SPG. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) grants security cover based on an individual's threat perception.
After Rajiv Gandhi's assassination in 1991, Sonia, Rahul, and Priyanka Gandhi received SPG protection. However, in 2019, their security was downgraded to Z-plus.
Z-plus, Z-category
Z-plus security is the highest level of security protection after the SPG cover. This security coverage includes 55 personnel, along with CRPF commandos, who guard the protectee 24x7. Additional protection in the form of National Security Guard (NSG) commandos is also given if the need is felt, based on intelligence inputs. The security cover also includes a bulletproof vehicle and escort in three shifts.
The commandos in the Z-plus security force receive expert martial arts and unarmed combat training. This security cover has been provided to Home Minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Finance Minister, and others.
In 2021, the Ministry of Home Affairs had stated that 40 protectees were given security cover under the Z-plus category.
Z-category is the country's third-highest level of security protection and includes 22 personnel, along with commandos and police personnel. Under the Z-category, a private individual pays for the security cover. Baba Ramdev and actor Aamir Khan have been given Z-category security protection.
Y-plus, Y category security
Y category security cover includes eight to 11 personnel, including a couple of commandos. It also comprises two personal security officers (PSOs). Many VIPs in India have been given this level of security protection. For instance, actor Kangana Ranaut and Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, director of The Kashmir Files, have been given Y-category protection.
