PM security breach in Punjab: SP Gurbinder Singh suspended for dereliction of duty
Superintendent of Police (SP) in Punjab has been suspended over allegations of dereliction of duty related to a security breach during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state in January of the previous year. Gurbinder Singh, who held the position of SP (Operations) in Ferozepur at the time, has been suspended with immediate effect, according to an order issued by the Punjab Home Department on Wednesday.
On January 5, 2022, protesters blocked the route, causing Prime Minister Modi's convoy to be stranded on a flyover in Ferozepur.
Consequently, he returned from Punjab without participating in scheduled events, including a rally, leading to a significant political controversy ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections.
The suspension order references a report dated October 18, 2023, on the incident submitted by the Director General of Police (DGP), wherein the state police chief asserted that Singh did not fulfil his duties adequately.
Following a review of the matter by the competent authority, the officer in question has been suspended with immediate effect, as stated in the order issued in Punjabi.
Previously, a committee appointed by the Supreme Court to investigate the security breach had implicated several state officers for lapses. The apex court, on January 12 of the preceding year, had established the committee, emphasising the need for «judicially trained independent minds» to investigate the incident, which could not be left to «one-sided inquiries.»
Inputs from PTI
