PUNJAB ACTS IN PM SECURITY LAPSE CASE

Punjab government charges retired IPS officer, warns two others over 2022 incident.

- TARUNI GANDHI

In a significant administrative move, the Punjab government has initiated departmental action in the 2022 Prime Minister security lapse case, issuing a charge sheet for major penalty to Mukhvinder Singh Chhina, IPS (now retired), and warning letters to senior IPS officers Naresh Arora and G. Nageshwar Rao.

The action comes more than three years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s convoy was stranded on a flyover in Ferozepur for over 20 minutes on January 5, 2022, due to protesting farmers blocking the route. The incident was termed a grave security lapse and led to national uproar.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had denied the Punjab government’s request to access witness statements recorded by the Justice Indu Malhotra Inquiry Panel, which had investigated the episode. The apex court ruled in 2024 that the state must base disciplinary actions on the final inquiry report and evidence gathered through its mechanisms.

ACTION TAKEN BY THE PUNJAB GOVERNMENT

According to top government sources and internal documents, the following steps have now been taken:

Mukhvinder Singh Chhina, IPS (Retd.): A chargesheet has been issued recommending a major penalty for failure in duty and lapses in managing the PM's security protocol in his role as Additional DGP.