Former Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General D S Hooda (retd) has alleged that an escort vehicle of the Punjab Police hit his car on the Zirakpur flyover in Mohali and sped away. He said the vehicle was escorting a VIP.
Expressing dismay over the "deliberate act" by the Punjab Police vehicle, Hooda tagged Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and DGP Gaurav Yadav in a post on X. It was under Lt Gen Hooda’s command that the 2016 surgical strikes on terror launch pads in PoK were conducted following the Uri terror attack.
The incident in Zirakpur took place on Wednesday when the former Northern Army Commander was travelling with his wife. “Two Punjab Police jeeps escorting a VIP towards Ambala come from behind with sirens blaring. Slowed the vehicle to let the first vehicle pass, the VIP vehicle perhaps took three additional seconds to pass because there was heavy traffic. Angered, the rear escort jeep, while overtaking from the left, deliberately cut sharply right, hitting the front of my car and then sped off," wrote Hooda on X.
He said it was clearly a deliberate act, which not only damaged the car, but also imperilled his personal safety on a crowded road. "The arrogance and impunity of someone who is supposed to be a guardian of law soils the uniform and reputation of the organisation. Hope @BhagwantMann and @DGPPunjabPolice take note," wrote Hooda.
Fresh directions to VIP escort staff
Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav has issued fresh, time-bound directions to all VIP escort, pilot and traffic staff following a social media post by Let Gen Hooda flagging an incident involving an escort vehicle on the Zirakpur–Ambala stretch. He said the police had a zero-tolerance policy towards misconduct and stressed on the need to balance security with public dignity and safety.
Calling VIP protection a high-responsibility assignment that demands discipline, patience and respect for citizens, the DGP said strong security must go hand in hand with respectful conduct, and mandated immediate compliance across districts.
The directive issued by the DGP includes orders to adhere to traffic rules and road safety norms during all non-emergency movements, facilitate smooth movement of protectees with minimal disturbance to public traffic, maintain professional conduct and courtesy throughout road journeys, exercise utmost patience and restraint under all circumstances.
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