A senior officer of Delhi Police who has been assigned to handle one of the country’s most sensitive security jobs has been removed from Rashtrapati Bhavan after a series of serious allegations of misconduct, protocol violations, and misuse of official property. Joint Commissioner of Police (Security) Veenu Bansal, a 2004 batch IPS officer within the AGMUT cadre, has been attached to Delhi Police Headquarters till now and is now in charge of Delhi Police Headquarters.
The decision was made through a late-night administrative order by Joint Commissioner of Police S.K. Jain, Officer on Special Duty to Delhi Police Commissioner. The order does not give an explicit reason for the transfer but several police officers said Bansal's conduct during his time in charge of security at Rashtrapati Bhavan was criticised.
Rashtrapati Bhavan is among India’s most secure government buildings and is the President of India’s official residence. Security on the presidential estate is closely supervised by the Delhi Police, Armed Forces, and other security agencies. Because it is a sensitive job, officers working there in a very high-demand job are expected to be professional and are expected to be on track with the security measures.
Bansal is also alleged to have abused the President's Estate facilities. According to reports, he regularly let his friends visit the Rashtrapati Bhavan golf course, which has strict security regulations, and took his family to an official function in which access is usually restricted to authorised staff, thus breaching security regulations according to the law.
The officer's conduct was so bad that employees at Rashtrapati Bhavan were uncomfortable due to the circumstances, it was said. Some staff members sought leave to avoid interacting with him and were feeling left out of the administrative and security staff. These claims have been made available by officials and media reports, but no official public inquiry report has been published to back up the claims.
The other part of the controversy is Bansal's relations with senior Army officers, as reported, in which he invoked the "Blue Book," the official protocol manual on VIP security and ceremonial practices of the Army, in the face of their disagreements. He was given directives that were unprofessional by military officials and even sent a letter to an Army officer and cited the Blue Book.
The contents of the communication are not made public, but it appears the incident has strained relations between Delhi Police and Army officials involved. The dispute went beyond a one-off disagreement and shows the degree to which agencies that would have to control one of the country's most important constitutional institutions are not cooperating.
The allegations have also attracted a lot of attention as Bansal has not been in trouble since it is not the first time Bansal has been in trouble with the administration. As Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest District), he was also removed earlier as well; he was removed on administrative action because of disputes and controversies, according to reports. So his past administrative history has been revived with the latest developments.
Despite the seriousness of the allegations, neither Delhi Police nor Veenu Bansal has made an official public statement about the allegations. There has been no official statement from the government about whether a departmental inquiry has been initiated or whether disciplinary proceedings are ongoing.
Legal experts say that administrative transfer is not the point of wrongdoing. Such actions are often taken to ensure that investigations, if any, proceed without interference and to protect sensitive institutions. Any determination of misconduct would depend on the outcome of any official inquiry conducted by the competent authorities.
The incident once again shows us that the operational and administrative systems of India's security agencies need to be well-organized in the presence of many departments and in the context of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, which is a very sensitive place. As more details are revealed, there will be a continued concern over whether formal investigations are ongoing and whether any administrative or disciplinary actions are to be taken.
Veenu Bansal, for now, still is at Delhi Police Headquarters, and there is no clear reason as to what led to his removal from one of the country’s most prestigious and security-sensitive posts.
