PM Modi security breach: Punjab govt to take disciplinary action against top cops

The Punjab government has decided to take displinary action against top officers of the police over the security breach of Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he visited the state in January last year.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has decided to initiate disciplinary proceedings for major penalty against Sidharth Chattopadhya, the then DGP, Inderbir Singh, the then DIG, among other officers. Chattopadhya has already retired from service.

Official sources said these officers would be asked to submit their responses.

According to the Home Affairs department's communication to the Personnel department issued on Monday, Mann also decided that explanations be sought from Naresh Arora, the then ADGP (Law and Order), G Nageshwara Rao, the then ADGP Cyber Crime, Mukhvinder Singh Chhina, the then IGP Patiala Range, Rakesh Agrawal, the then IG Counter Intelligence and Nodal Officer, Surjeet Singh, the then DIG Faridkot, and Charanjit Singh, the then SSP Moga, as to why disciplinary proceedings should not be initiated against them as recommended in the Supreme Court-constituted inquiry committee report.

The move came after the Supreme Court-appointed committee, which probed the security breach during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Punjab in January 2022, had indicted several state officers for lapses.

What happened during PM's visit last year

On January 5, 2022, Modi's convoy was stranded on a flyover due to a blockade by protesters in Ferozepur after which he returned from Punjab without attending any event, including a rally.

The top court on January 12 last year had appointed the committee to probe the breach, saying these questions cannot be left to "one -sided inquiries" as they needed "judicially trained independent minds" to investigate. (With PTI inputs)