Provide Abhay 3 additional security personnel: HC

Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana high court has directed the Haryana government to provide additional security cover to the senior leader of Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and Ellenabad MLA Abhay Singh Chautala. However, the additional security consisting of three security personnel would remain with Abhay Singh only till September 25, when the statewide ‘padayatra’ launched by him concludes.
“The petitioner would supply the details of the programme to the IG Security and CID as expeditiously as possible, preferably by August 11. On receipt of the said representation, the IG Security and CID would provide three additional gunmen to the petitioner on the dates when the petitioner has to go for the Haryana Parivartan Padayatra. The said arrangement of providing three additional gunmen would be there till September 25,” the HC has ordered.
Justice Vikas Bahl of the HC has passed these orders while disposing of a petition filed by Abhay.
When the matter came up for hearing the HC, the counsel representing the Haryana government, on instructions from Saurabh Singh, IPS, I G Security and CID, submitted that only on account of the fact that the petitioner is on Haryana Parivartan Padyatra till September 25, three additional gunmen would be deployed in his security.
It was also stated that the petitioner be directed to supply the details of the schedule of the padyatra within a period of one day to IG Security and CID and on the dates when the petitioner is on the said padyatra, the said three additional gunmen would be provided to the petitioner.
Abhay had approached the HC seeking adequate security cover to him through the central/state security agency in view of the recent threat call received by him. His counsel Sandeep Goyat said when the matter came up for hearing before Justice Vikas Bahl on Thursday, the Haryana government was not inclined to provide security to the INLD leader.
However, after the HC observation regarding threat calls and other contentions raised by the MLA, the state government agreed to provide some more security personnel to him, the lawyer informed.
On the previous hearing of the case on August 7, the MLA’s counsel had informed the court that after the threats, he was initially provided four additional cops. However, the same were withdrawn after two days.