Manish Malhotra Designs Ceremonial Uniforms For Mumbai Mounted Police Unit, Draws Flak

We all know that the Mumbai police has a badass Twitter handle that they use to spread awareness. But did you know that after a period of 88 years, the force is all set to get a mounted horse police unit?

According to The Indian Express, 13 horses have already been trained for the unit which will oversee crowd and traffic control. The unit will have a sub-inspector, an assistant sub-inspector, four head constables and 32 riders holding constable rank.

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India Today quoted Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh saying,

“A cop on a horse can work as much as 30 cops patrolling on road. The speed of the horse is also important in that case. The unit can be very useful during protests, at beaches, etc.”

The uniforms of the unit have been designed by Manish Malhotra and include a sherwani with threadwork, shoulder epaulettes, a gold sash, a cummerbund, breeches, and a Maratha warrior pagdi. The uniforms are ceremonial in nature to be worn during the Republic Day parade, reports Hindustan Times

NDTV quoted the designer saying,

“It feels like a full gratitude to be able to contribute in any way for the largest police departments in our country, Mumbai Police. We have designed the ceremonial uniforms of the horse-mounted police and are honored to see the officers dressed in our uniforms.”

However, Twitter voiced their doubts saying that the look was reminiscent of the colonial era. They hoped that the day-to-day uniform of the unit was designed with functionality and Mumbai’s weather in mind.

What do you think of the royal uniforms? Tell us.

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