PM Modi security lapse in 2022: The Punjab government has suspended seven policemen, including Bathinda Superintendent of Police (SP) Gurwinder Singh Sangha over dereliction of duty in connection with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s security breach during a visit to the state on January 5, 2022.
According to an order issued by the Punjab Home Ministry, besides Singh, two DSP-rank officers— Parson Singh and Jagdish Kumar, inspectors Tejinder Singh, Balwinder Singh and Jatinder Singh, and assistant sub-inspector Ramesh Kumar have been placed under suspension with immediate effect.
Notably, Singh, who is posted as an SP in Bathinda district, was at the time of the incident posted as the Superintendent of Police (Operations) and was on duty in Ferozepur.
According to the order, all seven policemen have been named in a charge sheet under section 8 of Punjab Civil Services rule (punishment and appeal) 1970.
Here’s suspension order
According to the suspension order, a report dated October 18, 2023, on the incident was submitted by the Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) in which the state police chief said that Singh did not perform his duty properly. After consideration of the matter at the level of the competent authority, the officer concerned is suspended with immediate effect, said the order issued in Punjabi.
PM Modi security lapse in 2022
Prime Minister Modi’s security breach happened on January 5, 2022, when Modi was on his way to Hussainiwala in Ferozepur. He landed at Bathinda on January 5 morning from where he was to go to the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala by helicopter. However, due to inclement weather, the Prime Minister had to take a road route.
Around 30 km away from the National Martyrs Memorial in Hussainiwala, when his convoy reached a flyover, it was found that the road was blocked by some protestors. Modi’s convoy was stranded on a flyover for over 15-20 minutes due to a blockade by protesters in Ferozepur. Following this he returned from Punjab without attending any event, including a rally.
It is pertinent to mention that in January 2022, Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi was the Chief Minister of Punjab, and this incident was viewed as a significant security breach for the Prime Minister.
The Supreme Court-appointed committee, which probed the security breach during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Punjab in January 2022, had indicted several state officers for lapses. After 22 months, action has been taken by suspending an SP.