He Came To The Venue With The MLA And Then Followed A Union Cabinet Minister Posing As His PA
Mumbai : The intruder who breached three layers of security and reached close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Wankhede stadium during swearing-in ceremony of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, is close to a newly inducted BJP MLA in the city, with whom he had come to the venue and then entered posing as personal assistant (PA) of a union cabinet minister.
Police sources alleged that the MLA also spoke to the Marine Drive police after the arrest of Anil Mishra, a self proclaimed BJP activist, who has been booked on charges of criminal trespass and impersonation.
Sources in the Mumbai police said while Mishra is seen in CCTV footage entering the stadium from a VVIP gate with the cabinet minister, during questioning he claimed his close association with the MLA. “He claimed that he came to the venue in the MLA’s car,” said a senior police official requesting anonymity.
He added that scrutiny of CCTV footages showed that Mishra followed the union cabinet minister. Further investigation revealed that he posed as the PA, entered Wankhede and followed the minister on to the dais.
Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria has already ordered an enquiry into the security lapse. The enquiry will fix responsibility on officials who were in-charge of the security. “We will take action against the officials in-charge of the security who failed to check Mishra’s pass,” the official said.
Officials said even as Mishra managed to enter the stadium, reaching close to PM Modi was a more serious security breach, as only those listed by the SPG were allowed on the dais with the PM.
Mumbai police officials said that they faced problem with the security on the dais, as they did not have the list of VVIPs to be present on the dais and the stage plan. “What we had got was only the list of a few Godmen,” an official said. However, he said that the security breach to reach the dais was unpardonable.
“The police officials on duty should have without fail checked the pass when Mishra was moving towards the dais even though he posed as the PA of the minister,” the official said.
– MANISH PACHOULY
