‘Surjewala wants to retain CISF personnel for liaison purposes’

CHANDIGARH: Submitting that parallels should not be drawn between withdrawal of a CISF inspector from the security of former Haryana minister Randeep Singh Surjewala and parole to a gangster, Surender Geong, the Haryana government on Wednesday told the Punjab and Haryana high court that the former minister wanted to retain the official for “liaison purpose” rather than for security.

Superintendent of police, (security), Surinder Singh in an affidavit told the high court that the Kaithal MLA enjoys ‘Y’ category security cover and 11 security men have been provided to him -- six as personal security officers and five deployed at his residence in Kaithal. MLAs usually get only two security men.

The government’s reply came on the petition of Surjewala filed on July 11, wherein the former minister had sought security cover from central paramilitary forces in view of the escape of dreaded gangster, Surender Geong, who jumped parole after being shifted to Kaithal jail. He had contended in his petition that the suspicious escape of Geong on June 23 and the simultaneous withdrawal of his personal security by the Haryana Police on June 27 have left his security vulnerable to attack by the notorious gangster.

The government has submitted that Geog was granted parole by a quasi-judicial body and the state police had opposed it. The contention of Surjewala that he had played a role in extradition of gang members is wrong. They were got extradited due to the efforts of SP Navdeep Singh Virk, the government has submitted adding Surjewala had no role to play in this regard. Also, the interrogations of gang members and Geong had not made disclosure about any threat to Surjewala. But director general of police had issued direction to SP Kaithal SP to apprehend Geong, the court was told.