Diversion of cops to VIP duty ‘delays’ Amritsar blast probe

With a large number of cops deployed on VIP duty for Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s Shukrana Yatra, the investigations into the blast outside the Army cantonment in Khasa have been delayed.

Personnel from seven police districts remained on their toes on Thursday, as Shukrana Yatra, which commenced from Anandpur Sahib yesterday, entered Amritsar from Jalandhar amid high security.

Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Morcha led Sarwan Singh Pandhar had announced to confront the CM during the yatra on issues concerning the farming community and labourers. However, they were stopped at Jabbowal village leading to a confrontation with the police.

"We have been on the VIP duty since early morning and hundreds of police personnel have been deployed along the route for the CM's visit to Golden Temple," said a senior police official wishing not to be named. The diversion of police personnel to the VIP duty has raised serious concerns about the pace of investigations in the twin blast cases. With senior officers and field teams reassigned to provide security cover to the visiting dignitaries, crucial investigative work has been hit.

The border state was rocked by two back-to-back IED blasts near the high-security installations in Tuesday night. Though Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav claimed that the investigations were being carried out in close coordination with the Army, BSF and other sister agencies and multiple teams were working on human intelligence, technical inputs and forensic evidence, the VIP duty has surely hampered the probe.

According to sources, several officers who were actively pursuing leads in the blast cases have been withdrawn to manage elaborate security arrangements.

“In such investigations, every hour lost weakens the trail. When manpower is diverted, critical clues face the risk of being overlooked,” said a retired police official. He pointed out that specialised investigative teams should be insulated from VIP duty to ensure continuity in sensitive cases. They argue that balancing VIP security with investigative priorities is essential to maintain public trust in law enforcement.

Amritsar Rural SSP Sohail Qasim Mir could not be contacted for comments despite repeated attempts.