Six more policemen have been suspended in connection with the security lapse during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Punjab in January 2022. This action has been taken against these six policemen along with the suspended Superintendent of Police level officer. According to the state home department’s November 22 order, two Deputy Superintendent of Police level officers – Parson Singh and Jagdish Kumar, inspectors Jatinder Singh and Balwinder Singh, sub-inspector Jaswant Singh and assistant sub-inspector Ramesh Kumar – have been suspended.
Superintendent of Police Gurbinder Singh suspended
Superintendent of Police Gurbinder Singh, currently posted in Bathinda district, was suspended on Saturday. According to the order, all the policemen have been named in the chargesheet under Section 8 of the Punjab Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 1970. Prime Minister Modi’s convoy got stuck on a flyover due to the blockade by protesters in Ferozepur on January 5, 2022, after which he had to return from Punjab without attending the program and had to cancel his rally.
Convicted several state officials
A committee was appointed by the Supreme Court on January 12 last year to investigate this security lapse, which blamed several state officials for it. Earlier, an officer of the rank of Superintendent of Police of the state was suspended on charges of negligence in providing security to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Punjab in January last year. At the time of the incident, Gurbinder Singh was posted as Superintendent of Police (Operation) and was on duty in Firozpur.
PM Modi’s convoy was stuck on a flyover
According to an order issued by the Punjab Home Department on Wednesday, Gurbinder Singh, currently posted as Superintendent of Police in Bathinda district, has been suspended with immediate effect. In Firozpur, on January 5, 2022, Prime Minister Modi’s convoy got stuck on a flyover due to a blockade by protesters. After this, he returned from Punjab to Delhi without attending the rally and other programs. A major political controversy had arisen due to the security lapse before the Punjab Assembly elections.
Committee issued order
According to the suspension order, a report dated October 18, 2023, on the incident was submitted by the Director General of Police (DGP), in which the state police chief had said that Singh did not perform his duty appropriately. The order issued in Punjabi language said that after considering the matter at the level of the competent authority, the concerned officer was suspended with immediate effect.
Many officials were held responsible for this lapse
The committee appointed by the Supreme Court to investigate the security lapse had earlier held several state officials responsible for the lapse. The top court, while appointing a committee to probe the security lapse on January 12 last year, had said that questions arising from the incident cannot be left to a “one-sided investigation”.