High profile protectees: Delhi Police asks 9 VIPs to inform before any foreign trip

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police has asked Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra and sons-in-law of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, among others, to inform the police three weeks in advance before they embark on a foreign tour. The letters received on September 12 also asked for itinerary and nature of visit for arranging security abroad.

The letters signed by additional deputy commissioner of Delhi Police, Kumar Gyanesh, were sent to 9 'high-profile' protectees of Delhi Police including Vadra and son-inlaws of Manmohan Singh, Vijay Tankha and Ashok Patnaik.

Tankha's two sons, Raghav and Madhav, Patnaik's son Rohan. Foster son-in-law of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Ranjan Bhattacharya and former PM Deve Gowda and his wife were also sent identical letters. The details sought by the police border on intrusion into privacy. These people are expected to the nature of their visit, detailed itinerary, including flight details, address of stay in foreign country, name of the hosts, places of visit and reasons if they need security cover abroad.

The security agency in question will then assess the threat and coordinate with the foreign country to arrange state or private security for him. AMHA official clarified that the ministry had in August 2013 asked all state DGPs and the Delhi Police Commissioner to inform respective protectees to intimate them of foreign visit in advance after Lt Gen KS Brar, who conducted Operation Bluestar, was attacked in London while on a private visit. The government was unaware of his foreign visit.