NIA nominates IGF to assist RG of HC in PM’s security breach case

New Delhi, Jan 08: The National Investigation Agency has nominated Inspector General of Police Santosh Rastogi to assist the Registrar General of Punjab and Haryana of the High Court to secure and seize records related to the Prime Minister's visit to Punjab on January 5 from the state and central agencies.

The order was issued by the Director General of the NIA on Friday. The agency however said that there is no probe.

The Centre and the Punjab government have ordered probes into the incident in which the PM was stranded on the road for 20 minutes during a protest. Going by the initial probe, it became clear that the Punjab government failed to follow the SPG Act which sets the protocols during a visit by the PM.

The provision Assistance to Group says that it is the duty of every Ministry and Department of both the Central and State Government or the administration of a Union Territory, every Indian Mission, every local or other authority or every civil or military authority to act in aid of the Director of any member of the Group whenever called upon to do so in furtherance of the duties and responsibilities assigned to such Director or member.

While the state of Punjab chose to play down the incident, the fact is that there was a major security lapse and the rules laid down in the Blue Book were not followed. Chapter XXVI of the Security arrangements for very important personages/protected persons lays down specific tasks that the police force of a state has to carry out.