Punjab Police to crack down on private ‘pilot’, ‘escort’ vehicles, bouncers dressed up as cops

Most such “security personnel” and “pilot” vehicles are seen plying with private individuals lwho are unable to get the official police protection but want protection in light of extortion threats or even to just show-off. The ‘security personnel’ they move around with are hired from private security firms or from firms supplying bouncers.

Swarn Singh Danewalia, a freelance journalist who has documented several such instances on social media says these so-called VIPs are a menace on the roads. “I have myself witnessed these private security personnel throw their weight around on roads and terrorising the common man. I have even submitted a complaint to the office of DGP Punjab but no action has been taken against this phenomenon,” he said.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Special DGP Traffic and Road Safety AS Rai admitted that the phenomenon of fake pilot and escort vehicles needs to be checked. “I have discussed this issue with other officials and we are taking it very seriously. No one can be allowed to imitate the law enforcement agencies or usurp the role of the police. A detailed guidelines to deal with such individuals will be issued very soon and such violations will be dealt with severely,” said Rai.

The issue of rashly driven police escort vehicles and the pseudo-police escorts hit the headlines in November when a former Army Commander, Lt Gen DS Hooda’s car was hit by a negligently driven Punjab Police escort vehicle in Zirakpur. When the complaint was being investigated by the Police at the initial stage it was not clear whether it was a bonafide police escort or a self-styled one.

The Indian Express team also came across one private Scorpio vehicle which had Police written boldly across the front and the back and even had blue and red flasher lights installed on it. Upon verifying the Sri Muktsar Sahib registration number it was found that the SUV was registered in the name of a private business establishment, a rice mill.

As per data available on the ‘Private Security Agency Licensing Portal’, as many as 1026 private security agencies are registered in Punjab under the Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act, 2005.

Vikky, who has been a bouncer-cum-security person himself for 12 years and now works for a firm-TriCity Bouncers Services-providing these personnel for hire says the demand is high for turbaned persons. “Those who hire them want them to dress up like PSOs,” he says.

He says the demand for private security is mostly from businessmen including realtors and property developers. “Since there is a real estate boom in Mohali many developers from Delhi have shifted here and they require protection because of the circumstances prevailing these days,” he said.

A security agency owner who did not want to be identified said a bouncer with a weapon can be hired for around Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 a month depending upon what mind of weapon he has and the licence he carries. “An all India arms licence carries more cost as does a .45 pistol as compared to .32 pistol. However, there is no fixed rate and the market has been spoilt by ex-servicemen who are prepared to work for lesser rates as they already get a pension,” he says.

Vicky adds that some bouncers in security role are used in ‘pilot’ vehicles. “Businessmen who cannot get police escort resort to such tactics. There is no extra cost to hire persons to travel in such vehicles. It is all part of the job,” he says. Most such private security persons are hired from gyms by word of mouth and lack real training to provide close protection to anyone facing a threat.