CM orders SIT to probe into attack on Kahan Pannu

By Punjabnewswire4u

CHANDIGARH, JUNE 26  

          Describing the assault on the senior IAS officer Mr. Kahan Singh Pannu as “an attack on the Punjab government,” the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today ordered the setting up of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to get to the root of the incident to ensure exemplary punishment to the culprits.”

The Chief Minister today called the state DGP Mr. Sumedh Singh Saini and asked him to immediately form the SIT and to keep him informed of the progress.

Expressing “complete solidarity with the assaulted officer”, Mr. Badal told members of the IAS officer Association who called on him this morning that he was fully seized of the matter and of its gravity.”I have been deeply and personally anguished over the incident.  Mr. Badal assured the Association that the government regarded the incident as “an act of extreme provocation, requiring prompt and effective government response, treating it with the gravity that it deserves.

” Fully backing the officer,

Mr. Badal said, “Mr. Pannu is one of our finest officers, and he was performing a most difficult and challenging task with extreme personal courage, deep commitment and commendable professional competence. In doing so, Mr. Pannu displayed remarkable personal character, braving extreme odds at considerable personal risk. The officer went far above and beyond the call of his duty, for which all those trapped in the calamity are rightly proud of and obliged to him.”  

He and other members of the Punjab rescue team there represented the government and therefore, we regard any harm inflicted on them as a  direct affront to the government, and it will be dealt with accordingly.

 Mr. Badal also appealed to everyone to exercise calm and composure in dealing with a grave human and national tragedy in  Uttrakhand, “We are all in it together, and instead of creating problems for each we must fight shoulder to shoulder in meeting this most  difficult challenge. The situation requires all of us to demonstrate calm, composure, perseverance and patience as preached to us by the Gurus.”  

Mr. Badal reiterated his appeal to the Uttrakhand government to provide maximum security to all the officers of various stategovernments deputed at different locations in the calamity stricken state  for the smooth execution of relief, rescue and rehabilitation work besides ensuring that such unfortunate acts should never be repeated in future.