MHA points present trigger discover to Bathinda SSP over PM’s safety breach

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a show-cause discover to Bathinda SSP on seventh January 2022 in reference to the PM’s safety breach incident that happened on fifth January 2022. PM Modi’s convoy was caught on a flyover when he was heading to Hussainiwala in Ferozepur district of Punjab to go to National Martyr’s Memorial and subsequently handle a public assembly. The Bathinda SSP is directed by this discover to reply in writing to the MHA inside a day of issuing the discover. The discover asks the SSP to clarify why no motion must be taken towards him for the incident.
Archana Varma, Deputy Secretary to the Centre, has said within 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 discover 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 additional said within 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 concerning the contingency rehearsal
In this discover MHA additionally reminded the officer concerning the contingency rehearsal previous to the PM’s go to to the state. It stated, “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 brief lesson about authorized obligations to be adopted
The letter additionally clearly talked about of what are the authorized obligations to be adopted by the state companies in the course of the VVIP visits. It said 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 trigger discover issued to five extra officers
According to reviews, present trigger notices have additionally been issued to not less than 5 different senior officers of the Punjab Police who have been on obligation in the course of the prime minister’s go to. Although the identification of these officers has not been disclosed but, they’re stated to be law enforcement officials on the rank of SSP, DIG and above.