Two months after Health Minister Anil Vij had created a fuss about being spied upon by the “snooping” watch and ward staff of the CID wing, the same personnel, on duty on the floor housing Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s office, saved the day for the security at the Secretariat on Tuesday.
It was one of the personnel of the CID’s watch and ward staff who approached SP Rana, president of the All-India Ambulances Welfare Association, on the fourth floor and asked if the latter was carrying a weapon.
Rana, accompanied by other ambulance operators, had carried his licensed weapon through various layers of security check by the CISF at the Secretariat, unhindered. He had reached the fourth floor just outside the main door and last security check point before the delegation gained access to the CM’s office.
Sources said the watch and ward staff, as a routine practice, informally interact with delegations coming to meet the Chief Minister and ministers at the Secretariat. The idea is to gauge their intention as also to take feedback in case any alerts need to be sent out in case of any law and order situation.
“The CID staffer approached the delegation and asked the members, as is customary, if they were carrying a weapon. He alerted the rest and it was later that the CISF and the police took over,” sources in the Secretariat security said.
Dedicated watch and ward personnel, posted on the fourth floor, keep tabs on the public coming to meet the Chief Minister and interact with delegations and report their findings to seniors in the CID Department.
Vij had created a ruckus in July this year when he had “caught” one such CID personnel from outside his office in the Secretariat and taking notes about those visiting him.
The episode had snowballed into a controversy after Vij went to town claiming the personnel had been snooping around for months outside his office and no amount of explanation by senior police officers had convinced him that it was a routine exercise.
Later, for his satisfaction, the police had conducted an inquiry into the episode and given the personnel a clean chit. Vij had rejected the report, claiming no government or police would ever admit to snooping.
“This incident has only proved what we have been claiming all along — that keeping track of visitors in an attempt to identify trouble-makers and be abreast of the intentions of the visiting public is our sole motive. We are in charge of security of the Chief Minister and the ministers and ultimately responsible for any lapses. Yesterday’s lapse at the level of the CISF was checked by this staff, vindicating our stand that snooping on anybody is not even on our minds. Security, however, is,” a senior police functionary said.
It was one of the personnel of the CID’s watch and ward staff who approached SP Rana, president of the All-India Ambulances Welfare Association, on the fourth floor and asked if the latter was carrying a weapon.
Rana, accompanied by other ambulance operators, had carried his licensed weapon through various layers of security check by the CISF at the Secretariat, unhindered. He had reached the fourth floor just outside the main door and last security check point before the delegation gained access to the CM’s office.
Sources said the watch and ward staff, as a routine practice, informally interact with delegations coming to meet the Chief Minister and ministers at the Secretariat. The idea is to gauge their intention as also to take feedback in case any alerts need to be sent out in case of any law and order situation.
“The CID staffer approached the delegation and asked the members, as is customary, if they were carrying a weapon. He alerted the rest and it was later that the CISF and the police took over,” sources in the Secretariat security said.
Dedicated watch and ward personnel, posted on the fourth floor, keep tabs on the public coming to meet the Chief Minister and interact with delegations and report their findings to seniors in the CID Department.
Vij had created a ruckus in July this year when he had “caught” one such CID personnel from outside his office in the Secretariat and taking notes about those visiting him.
The episode had snowballed into a controversy after Vij went to town claiming the personnel had been snooping around for months outside his office and no amount of explanation by senior police officers had convinced him that it was a routine exercise.
Later, for his satisfaction, the police had conducted an inquiry into the episode and given the personnel a clean chit. Vij had rejected the report, claiming no government or police would ever admit to snooping.
“This incident has only proved what we have been claiming all along — that keeping track of visitors in an attempt to identify trouble-makers and be abreast of the intentions of the visiting public is our sole motive. We are in charge of security of the Chief Minister and the ministers and ultimately responsible for any lapses. Yesterday’s lapse at the level of the CISF was checked by this staff, vindicating our stand that snooping on anybody is not even on our minds. Security, however, is,” a senior police functionary said.
