Haryana withdraws PSOs of 72 persons, frees 201 cops for other duties

Move part of rationalisation of force, review of the threat perception to the 'protectees' at district-level, every week

The move aims to reallocate personnel for essential duties while ensuring genuine protectees continue to receive security when needed.

Haryana Police has withdrawn 201 PSOs from 72 individuals after a fresh threat-perception review, saying security cannot be used as a status symbol.

The Haryana Police Thursday said that following a review of threat perception, it has withdrawn 201 Personal Security Officers (PSOs) who had been assigned to 72 persons across the state.

Terming it as a “rationalisation of the force”, a senior police officer said these individuals (protectees), who had been given police security “on basis of threat/ extortion calls allegedly received by them”, had been been moving around with the PSOs for many months/ years.

The officer said that from now on, the force shall be conducting a review of the threat perception to the ‘protectees’ at district-level, every week.

“If anybody genuinely needs protection, we shall provide it. But, getting a PSO only for the purpose of using it as a status symbol will no longer be tolerated,” the officer said adding that “further security/ PSOs shall be provided after fresh threat assessment of the protectees”.

The issue had come to light recently when PSOs, earlier allotted to JJP leaders including it’s youth wing president Digvijay Chautala, former deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala’s father-in-law and former ADGP Paramjit Singh Ahlawat, singer Rahul Faizalpuria who contested the Lok Sabha election from Gurugram and Vinesh Gurjar who contested from Sohna assembly seat and a few other leaders, were withdrawn by the police. JJP leaders had been citing instances of threatening calls received by Digvijay Chautala, firing incident at Fazilpuria’s residence as reasons for them to have police security cover.

“It is not about any particular political party or individual. Anybody who needs it, will get the PSO. If somebody does not need it, the police personnel need to be put on other duties. In the current rationalisation, we have managed to free 201 police personnel from across the state who were just doing these PSO duties,” another senior officer added.

According to the information, 12 PSOs were withdrawn from six out of 23 individuals in Gurugram; 16 from 13 individuals out of 20 in Faridabad; 19 from nine individuals out of 30 in Jhajjar; 32 from eight individuals out of 34 in Ambala; nine from two individuals out of 39 in Kurukshetra, four from two individuals out of four in Yamunanagar; 29 from eight individuals out of 18 in Karnal; eight from one individual out of 12 in Kaithal; five from two individuals out of 11 in Rohtak; three from two individuals out of seven in Dadri; two from two individuals out of 10 in Bhiwani; eight from two individuals out of 15 in Hisar; two from one individual out of three in Hansi, nine from four individuals in Sirsa; two from one individual out of eight in Jind; nine from four individuals in Dabwali; and 32 from 13 individuals in Palwal.

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