‘Trained cops may have averted firing’

The Haryana government has expressed worry over the firing incident involving a private security guard of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh at Mumbai. The fact that the guard was not a professional was the main cause for concern.

“Had trained cops been deployed to man his proximate security, the firing incident may have been averted. It is quite possible that the private guards panicked and instead of whisking him away smoothly, they resorted to opening fire," said security officials.

Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence), PV Rathee said that in light of Friday's incident, they would reiterate the directions regarding proper usage of Z plus security cover to the DSS management. "We will soon call a meeting with the Dera management in this regard," the ADGP said.

Objecting to the "unendorsed deployment" of premis (dera followers) for manning his inner security cordon, the Intelligence wing of the state police has repeatedly asked the DSS management to strictly adhere to Z plus security norms. However, the DSS management has shown reluctance to whole-heartedly handover the security of its chief to the state police personnel.

"Last July, when the Dera head was attacked at Ghukkanwali in Sirsa, it was the Z plus security men who got him out of the volatile situation safely," security officials said.

Last November, the Intelligence Wing had written to senior vice-president of DSS management Dr Prithvi Raj Nain expressing concern over the matter.

"There were inputs from the Z plus personal security officers that "untrained" Dera followers continue to form the inner security cordon of Dera head which was in absolute contravention of the Z plus norms.