Ferozepur SSP Harmandeep Hans indicted for PM Modi's security breach during visit in January

New Delhi/Ferozepur, Aug 25

A Supreme Court-appointed committee has indicted then Ferozepur SSP Harmandeep Singh Hans for a security breach during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state in January this year.

2015-batch officer

• Harmandeep Hans is a Punjab-cadre IPS officer of the 2015 batch
• An alumnus of a Mohali school, he cracked civil services with 101st rank
• Posted as Mohali SP earlier, was shifted to Ferozepur after Channi became CM
• Days after the fiasco, he was shifted to 3rd IRB in Ludhiana as Cmdt

Police remained mute spectator

PM’s convoy was stopped 100 m away from protesters & 10 km from Pakistan. The Punjab Police remained a mute spectator. -- Anurag Thakur, Union minster

In its report submitted to the top court, the Justice Indu Malhotra (retd) committee said the SSP failed to discharge his duty of maintaining law and order despite clear instructions, even though sufficient force was available and he was informed two hours in advance that the PM would take that route.

The security breach happened on January 5 when PM Modi was on his way to Hussainiwala in Ferozepur district and his cavalcade had to take a U-turn after protesters blocked his way. The PM was stuck on a flyover for around 20 minutes. “We are taking the PM’s security breach very seriously,” the top court had said during the hearing. The committee said there should be an oversight committee for periodic revision of ‘Blue Book’ that contains security drills to secure the PM while he is in transit.

After perusing the report submitted to it in a sealed cover, a three-judge Bench led by CJI NV Ramana on Thursday said the committee report would be sent to the government for taking appropriate action. The Bench, which also included Justice Surya Kant and Justice Hima Kohli, turned down demands made by some advocates to make copies of the report available to them.

The top court had on January 12 appointed former Supreme Court judge Indu Malhotra as chairperson of the five-member special committee to probe the security lapse. Other members of the committee were the NIA D-G or an Inspector-General-level officer nominated by him, Chandigarh DGP, Punjab ADGP (Security) and the Registrar General of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

It was mandated to probe the causes of the breach, ascertain as to who were the persons responsible and recommend measures for preventing such lapses in VVIP security in future, it said. The top court had stayed all proceedings initiated by the inquiry committees set up by the Centre and the Punjab Government.

The order came on a PIL filed by ‘Lawyer’s Voice’ seeking a thorough investigation into the lapse.

A Punjab cadre IPS officer of the 2015 batch, Harmandeep shot into prominence when the PM’s cavalcade got struck at an elevated road near Piareana village on the outskirts of Ferozepur due to a protest by farmers. His father was a DSP in the Punjab Police and since childhood, Harmandeep wanted to step into his father’s shoes and become an IPS officer.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.

#anurag thakur #Ferozepur #Mohali #punjab police #supreme court