SA bizmen Guptas have Z security cover in Doon

Neena Sharma

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Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 17

Controversial businessmen brothers Atul Gupta and Ajay Gupta, facing a barrage of corruption charges in South Africa, have been provided Z security in Dehradun.

While the South African authorities are on the hunt for the Gupta brothers, it is rumoured that one of the brothers (Ajay) was in Dehradun on Thursday. He is said to have left under the Z security cover to an undisclosed destination. 

The state government had given the Z security cover to both Ajay and Atul as soon as it came to power in 2017. Usually, the cover is extended only to Chief Ministers and other VVIPs. 

The brothers, who own a palatial bungalow on 7-Curzon Road here, were believed to have requested Chief Minister TS Rawat through a Cabinet Minister to upgrade their security, which was adhered to. 

In a letter dated June 16, 2017, a copy of which is with The Tribune, the DGP was asked by the state government to ensure Z security to the brothers during their stay in Dehradun. According to the terms of the agreement, the brothers are to pay the government for their security cover. 

On being asked if the brothers will continue to have Z security even in the light of the swirling corruption charges being levelled against them,  Principal Secretary Anand Vardhan clarified, “There has not been any official orders regarding the withdrawal of security. Besides, the decision was taken when I was not heading the Home Department. A procedure is followed by the government while extending security cover to private persons, who make a formal request. The level of security given is based on the degree of threat perception.” 

It was during the tenure of former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna that the Y category security cover was first extended to the Gupta brothers in 2012. Later, the brothers were also in the news for allegedly facilitating and hosting the holiday trip of former CM Vijay Bahuguna to SA. The trip had generated a lot of heat as it was for the first time a chief minister from the state had gone on a holiday.

Guptas have bungalow on Curzon Road

• While the South African authorities are on the hunt for the Gupta brothers, it is rumoured that one of the brothers (Ajay) was in Dehradun on Thursday
• He is said to have left under the Z security cover to an undisclosed destination
• The state government had given the Z security cover to Ajay and Atul as soon as it came to power in 2017. Usually, the cover is extended only to Chief Ministers and other VVIPs
• The brothers own a palatial bungalow on 7-Curzon Road