NEW DELHI: The SPG, meant to protect the Prime Minister, normally maintains a confidential record of all those who meet him with prior appointment or without it The normal procedure for meeting the Prime Minister is either with prior appointment or during the “public darbars”,

There are several categories of people, however, who can meet the Prime Minister without even a security check.

While Cabinet ministers, party MPs, VIPs, top bureaucrats and others meet the Prime Minister by merely asking Khandckar or Ramu Damodaran whether or not the “boss” is available, others, have to G0 to the reception and inform that they have an appointment. A senior SPG official present at the reception checks with the PS or APS about the appointment, makes a slip, registers the name and other contents regarding the person ona sheet of paper and allows him or her to go inside. The slip given to the caller is to be verified by the person who had given the appointment and it must be returned to the SPG personnel atthe exit gate, But this procedure does not apply to those about whom there is a specific message that the person or persons be allowed to come in without a slip and entry permit. A similar direction has been given regarding the close associates of the Prime Minister,

This privilege is accorded only to a handful of people, including Mr, Chandraswamy. But smart SPG cops record the number of the vehicle in a register, timing of their entry and exit and the name of the person as well. The Director of the SPG, the Director of the Intelligence Bureau and others are duly informed about these movements, strangely records of the period in question are not avail able,

The SPG is simply saying that it does not have a record whether the late Satpal Mittal had met the Prime Minister in the morning of November 4,1991, or not along with Harshad Mehta, Whatever may be the proximity Satpal Mittal may have enjoyed with the Prime Minister, he had to seek prior appointment with the latter and park his vehicle outside the PM’s house. Therefore, if an exception had been made on November 4,1991, when he was allowed inside the house with his Honda car, the SPG must have a record pertaining to the entry of the said vehicle. Sources in the SPG say they do not have such a record. In this case, the credibility of the government will be further eroded because Rao had not said a word himself on whether he met Harshad Mehta or not. He has been saying that the kickbacks or donation theory is malicious, false and fabricated, But he has not denied his meeting with Mehta along with Mittal.

Article extracted from this publication >>July 2, 1993