Woman inspector suspended
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Malleswaram traffic police inspector Sashikala has been suspended, pending inquiry, for the lapse in taking Congress Party president Sonia Gandhi’s convoy on a “wrong” route on Saturday morning in the city. Ms Sashikala was in the pilot vehicle when the faux pas occurred. As per the route chalked out by the Deputy Commissioner of Police-VVIP, the convoy was to pass through Ali Askar Road, Infantry Road, Minsk Square, M.G. Statue Circle, turn left at Anil Kumble junction and then turn right onto Cubbon Road, reach Manipal Centre junction and then proceed onto HAL Airport Road. Instead of taking left at the Anil Kumble junction, the pilot vehicle led the convoy down M.G. Road and took a left turn at Cauvery Emporium junction and a right-turn on Cubbon Road.
The stretch between the Anil Kumble junction and the Cauvery Emporium junction was not on the designated route, but was a contingency road. Following the lapse, the Special Protection Group (SPG) personnel, who are in charge of Mrs Gandhi’s security, brought the matter to the notice of senior police officers.
T. Suneel Kumar, Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) directed the DCP-VVIP to conduct an inquiry Sashikala told senior police officials that she was not to be blamed. “I am not at fault. The driver of the pilot vehicle, attached to the VVIP section, has to be blamed. The wireless network was not functioning as the SPG had deployed jammers. We had to use the mobile phone as there was no alternative to communicate on the location to other officers in the convoy. While I was on the mobile phone, the driver missed the left turn at Anil Kumble junction and went straight on M.G. Road. He took the left turn at the Cauvery Emporium junction and then back to the designated route on Cubbon Road. Once the pilot vehicle headed straight on M.G. Road, it was too late to reverse it,” she told the senior police officers in her defence.
Mr Suneel Kumar too confirmed Ms Sashikala’s statement. The DCP-VVIP has been asked to conduct the inquiry, he said. Mrs Gandhi came to the city on Friday night and left Raj Bhavan on Saturday for the HAL airport from where she left for Chitadurga.
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