Senior police official of Ferozepur transferred

Chandigarh, Jan 8 (IANS) Just hours ahead of the election model code of conduct to come into force, the Punjab government on Saturday transferred Senior Superintendent of Police Harmandeep Singh Hans, who was caught in the eye of 'row' over the security breach of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Hans was posted in Ferozepur, where Modi's programmes on January 5 had to be cancelled due to a security lapse after some protesters blocked a route and forced Modi's convoy to spend about 15-20 minutes on a flyover.

Hans was among seven IPS officers and two PPS officers who were transferred.

Meanwhile, a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) team investigating the breach of security reached the spot on Friday to find out the reasons that led to the Prime Minister's cavalcade remaining stranded on the flyover for 15-20 minutes.

As per the MHA statement, around 30 km away from the National Martyrs Memorial in Hussainiwala near Ferozepur, when the PM's convoy reached a flyover, it was found that the road was blocked by some protesters. The Prime Minister was stuck on the flyover for 15-20 minutes. This was a major lapse in the security of the Prime Minister.

Punjab Chief Secretary Anirudh Tewari, in a report submitted to the Centre, said that an FIR has been lodged in the incident and the state government has formed a two-member panel to probe the lapses.

Tewari is learnt to have shared the details pertaining to the sequence of events that unfolded on Wednesday, official sources said.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Friday directed the Registrar General of Punjab and Haryana High Court to secure and preserve all the records in connection with the Prime Minister's visit to Punjab, and also asked the state and Central committees to refrain from conducting inquiries till Monday, when it will take up the matter again.