Chandigarh: The Punjab government has suspended superintendent of police (SP), Bathinda, Gurbinder Singh, for dereliction of duty in connection with the security breach during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state on January 5, 2022.
According to the order issued by the state home department on November 21, 2023, Gurbinder Singh, was suspended with immediate effect. He was posted as SP, Operations, in Ferozepur, during Modi’s visit. Notably, Ferozepur borders Pakistan.
The Home department order read that a report dated October 18, 2023, was submitted by the director general of police (DGP), Punjab, in connection with the security breach during Modi’s visit wherein the DGP made remarks that Gurbinder Singh, the then SP, Operations, did not perform his duty properly.
The order also said that after consideration of the matter at the level of the competent authority, the officer concerned has been suspended with immediate effect.
PM Modi security lapse
It may be recalled that Modi had landed at Bathinda on January 5, 2022, morning from where he was scheduled to go to the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala border (with Pakistan) by helicopter, but he had to take a road route due to adverse weather.
However, the prime minister’s cavalcade was stuck on a flyover near Piareana village on the Ferozepur-Moga road for over 15 minutes about 30 kilometres ahead of the National Martyrs’ Memorial in Ferozepur district from Bhatinda when the road was found to have been blocked by a group of farmers forcing the PM’s special protection group (SPG) team to decide to turn back fearing security risks. The Prime Minister had to thus return from Punjab without attending any event including a rally in Hussainiwala.
Pertinently, it was chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi-led Congress government in Punjab in 2022 and the incident was viewed as a major security breach for the Prime Minister.
Subsequently, a committee appointed the by Supreme Court, which probed the breach, indicted several state officers for security lapses. Singh is the first SP-rank officer to be suspended for the lapses.
