7 Punjab policemen suspended in PM Modi’s security breach matter

The Punjab government has suspended seven officers of Punjab police for alleged dereliction of duty in connection with a security breach during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state in January 2022.

While a superintendent of police rank officer was suspended earlier, another six were later placed under suspension. The latter were deputy superintendents of police rank officers, Parson Singh and Jagdish Kumar, inspectors Jatinder Singh and Balwinder Singh, sub inspector Jaswant Singh and assistant sub-inspector Ramesh Kumar, according to the November 22 order of the state's home department. SP Gurbinder Singh, who is at present posted as SP in Bathinda district, was suspended on Saturday.

According to the order, all seven policemen have been named in a chargesheet under section 8 of Punjab Civil Services rule (punishment and appeal) 1970. On January 5, 2022, Prime Minister 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 and was to forced to cancel a rally. A 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.

The committee had been appointed by the top court on January 12 last year to probe the breach, saying the matter cannot be left to "one-sided inquiries" as they needed "judicially trained independent minds" to investigate.

(With inputs from agencies)