PM convoy's security lapse taken seriously: Minister

Thiruvanathapuram, Nov 1 (UNI) Kerala Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan today said the government was taking seriously last night's incident in which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's pilot vehicle deviated from the original route.

Talking to newsmen at the airport, the Minister said the government had noted the serious lapse in ensuring security to the Prime Minister and would take all steps to make sure such incidents did not recur in the future.

Mr Balakrishnan said he would try to appraise Dr Singh about the whole incident.

The government was considering a change in the existing security system being practised for years after a detailed study.

He said stern action would be taken against the guilty after a detailed inquiry into the incident, including the reason that led to the engagement of a taxi driver to drive the pilot vehicle of the Prime Minister.

A pilot vehicle of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's entourage, heading from the airport to the Raj Bhavan here, had diverted from the original route causing panic among the security personnel last night.

A tourist taxi driver engaged by the police was taken into custody and Sub-Inspector Balachandran, who was in charge of the Prime Minister's convoy, was suspended.

According to eye witnesses, the pilot vehicle took a wrong turn at the Asan Square at Palayam and entered an underpass instead of taking a left turn and entering a flyover.

Before the driver could stop the pilot vehicle, some other vehicles in the convoy also entered the wrong road, leaving the Prime Minister and others stranded for about five minutes.

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