The National Security Guards (NSG), the elite agency for providing security to VVIPs in the country, has held the Punjab Police responsible for violating the mandatory security checks prescribed in the blue book. Reacting to the assassination of the Punjab Chief Minister, Beant Singh, a senior official of the NSG revealed that from time to time the NSG had written to the Punjab Police, asking it to undertake sabotage checks in the vehicles of the Chief Minister’s convoy but to no avail, It was also mandatory to screen each and every vehicle of the convoy every day before the VIP ventured out, the official added. It was also pointed out by the NSG sources that the official cars of the Chief Minister were being used by the drivers for going home or to the barracks 10 have their lunch although according to rules, even the Chief Minister’s grandchildren were not supposed to avail this privilege. After dropping the Chief Minister at the office or the residence, the drivers were often allowed the liberty to use the cars, This exposed the VVIP vehicle to sabotage while being parked without adequate security.

The experts confirmed that the extent of damage caused by the blast pointed to the use of technology similar to that used by the LTTE.

The experts termed it as the most powerful blast in the City as compared to the earlier ones which included one in a former SSP, Sumedh Singh Saini’s car, and another in the Shivalik View hotel. The Punjab Police had recently transferred the DIG for CM’s security, J.P. Virdi, and appointed P.M. Das who chose to on a mountaineering expedition. A relatively junior officer was promoted and posted as in charge of the CM’s security, it is learnt. The outer ring of the civil secretariat security constitutes of 100strong.conlingent from various security agencies, including the CRPF, Each of the three outer iron gates are manned by one non gazeited officer, one head constable and two constables, The inner gates, including the VIP entrance besides the Punjab civil secretariat, are manned by internal security staff, comprising the Punjab Police, the CRPF and the UT police, According to well-placed sources here, the needle of suspicion has fallen ‘on some of the key security officials around the Punjab Chief Minister, many of whom were not posted in Punjab during its troubled period in the late 80’s.

 

Article extracted from this publication >>September 8, 1995