Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a show-cause notice to Bathinda SSP on 7th January 2022 in connection with the PM’s security breach incident that took place on 5th January 2022. PM Modi’s convoy was stuck on a flyover when he was heading to Hussainiwala in Ferozepur district of Punjab to visit National Martyr’s Memorial and subsequently address a public meeting. The Bathinda SSP is directed by this notice to respond in writing to the MHA within a day of issuing the notice. The notice asks the SSP to explain why no action should be taken against him for the incident.
Archana Varma, Deputy Secretary to the Centre, has stated in the letter that “since there was grave security lapse during PM Modi’s visit, the Bathinda SSP is directed to ‘show-cause’ as to why action should not be initiated against him under the law including disciplinary action under All India Services (Discipline and Appeal), Rules, 1969, the acts of omission and commission.”
The notice issued to the SSP states, “Your reply should be received in this ministry on or before January 8 by 5 pm, failing which it would be presumed that you have nothing to say and disciplinary action as deemed fit would be initiated against you.”
It was further stated in the letter that “It is abundantly clear that the route clearance was given without adequately attending to all security concerns pointed out in the ASL meetings on January 1 and 2. As per the Blue Book and established procedures as Superintendent of Police, Bathinda, you were mandated to make adequate arrangements for the security and logistics for the VVIP’s visit and also to make contingency plan for movement of VVIP by road with necessary deployment of security forces. It is manifestly obvious that a contingency plan with attendant security deployment was either not made or not put to effect when so required.”
MHA reminded the officer about the contingency rehearsal
In this notice MHA also reminded the officer about the contingency rehearsal prior to the PM’s visit to the state. It said, “The contingency rehearsal for road journey from AFS Bathinda to Ferozepur was also carried out on January 4. Notwithstanding the ASL report emphasising the need to have a strong police deployment for road journey and contingency rehearsal, adequate security deployment for contingency movement by road was not made and the VVIP’s cavalcade was blocked with tractors, trolleys and school buses by a group of protesters about 30 km from National Martyrs Memorial in Hussaniwala”
A short lesson about legal obligations to be followed
The letter also clearly mentioned of what are the legal obligations to be followed by the state agencies during the VVIP visits. It stated that “As provided in Section 14 of the Special Protection Group (SPG), 1988, the state government and every civil authority is legally obligated to provide all assistance to the SPG and, therefore, you as SSP Bathinda were obligated to make adequate security arrangements but available information so far indicates that police at the protest site was found to be inactive, senior police officers present at the site were also found to be ineffective in making efforts to facilitate movement of carcade of the VVIP. Throughout the route only skeletal police deployment was observed.”
Show cause notice issued to 5 more officials
According to reports, show cause notices have also been issued to at least 5 other senior officers of the Punjab Police who were on duty during the prime minister’s visit. Although the identity of those officers has not been disclosed yet, they are said to be police officers on the rank of SSP, DIG and above.
