In the latest development, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann has approved the filing of a chargesheet against those responsible for a security breach during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Punjab in January last year. Charge sheet will be filed against 3 senior police officers of that time who were given the responsibility to maintain security of PM Modi during his visit.
Reportedly, CM Mann has approved filing of charge sheet against former DGP S Chattopadhyay, IG Inderbir Singh and SSP Harmandeep Hans. During the time of PM Modi’s security breach Chattopadhyay was the DGP of the state, Inderbir the DIG of Ferozepur and Hans Ferozepur was the SSP. As per information, Punjab Chief Secy Vijay Kumar Janjua sent file for charge sheeting all the guilty officers out of which CM approved charge sheet of only three IPS officers.
Adding to this, while charge sheet will be filed against these officers, others will be served with show cause notice. Anirudh Tiwari, ADGP Naresh Arora, G Nageswara Rao, IG MS Chinna and Rakesh Agarwal, then DIG (retd) Surjit Singh and SSP Charanjit Singh will have to appear in the court and state the reason why no action was taken over PM’s security breach.
Post the security lapse, Supreme Court itself started investigation regarding the matter. SC then set up a committee headed by retired Justice Indu Malhotra in order to carry out a detailed investigation of the whole matter and submit proper report of the same. Apart from naming the officials responsible for it, the then Chief Justice NV Ramana had said that in this report some necessary measures have also been suggested for the concrete security of the Prime Minister, which will be sent to the state government.
For the unversed, PM Modi decided to visit Punjab on January 5, 2022 before the Punjab assembly elections held in February 2022. Due to some reasons, his convoy was forced to go by road from Bathinda to Firozpur. During this, his convoy was halted at flyover of Pyareana village due to farmers protesting against him. Despite Punjab Government being informed earlier about the visit, PM Modi’s convoy had to turn back and his Punjab visit was cancelled.