HC seeks security details of VIPs

Chandigarh: A day after TOI highlighted how VIPs in Punjab, many of them still using threat perceptions during days of terrorism as an excuse, had lavished a huge number of securitymen on themselves and kin, Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday sought names of those who have armed guards. Visibly perturbed, Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice Nawab Singh, after going through the TOI report placed before them by a petitioner, also asked the state government to disclose details of “threat perception’’ to such persons. The details—the names of those who get security cover and the number of security personnel on such duty—will have to be placed in a sealed cover before the high court on or before December 22, the next date of hearing. TOI had reported how the Punjab CM and his kin had an astounding 1,000 security personnel to cover them. Overall, about 900 leaders and 350 officers have 7,284 gunmen looking after their security needs. This when internal security, which has come into sharp focus after the Mumbai attacks of November 26, exposed sieve-like loopholes. The significant directions, which may cause quite a bit of embarrassment to the state government once the data start rolling off, came in the wake of a plea filed by SGPC secretary Raghbir Singh who claimed that despite serious threats to him and his family Punjab had withdrawn security cover provided to him on March 3, 2007. During the course of hearing, Raghbir Singh’s counsel hammered on the fact that a large number of security personnel were provided to various influential people “without proper examination of threat perception to them’’. Such persons included SGPC members, industrialists, hoteliers, bureaucrats and even mediapersons. Surprisingly, police do not have proper records showing how many personnel are attached with which VIP. Depending on the clout they have in the establishment, politicians manage security guards from various police wings like Punjab Armed Police, Indian Reserve Battalion, Punjab Commando Police and 82-Battalion.

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