M A I N   N E W S

Pirzada apprehends threat from CM
Meets Governor for security
Prabhjot Singh
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 26
Apprehending threat to his life and other members of the family from Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and two of his confidants, Mr Gurnihal Singh Pirzada, an IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre, today met the Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh, Justice O. P. Verma, and demanded security.

In a written representation made to Justice Verma, Mr Pirzada, who is out on bail in a case of cheating and corruption registered against him by Punjab Vigilance Bureau on January 21, Mr Pirzada reportedly held that he and other members of his family had been receiving threats, besides obnoxious and abusive telephone calls, for the past several days.

Though Mr Pirzada could not be contacted, sources in Punjab Raj Bhavan confirmed that Mr Pirzada had submitted a one-page representation to Justice Verma and sought security cover for his family.

Mr Pirzada, sources said, held that he was “implicated in a false case” by “abusing law” and remained in jail from January 22 to February 14.

“The only topic on which I was grilled after arrest was hawala transactions in the Punjab Intranet case. The investigators wanted to find out how much more I knew about the case. About the actual case registered against me, all I was asked to do was make a statement,” he is reported to have stated in his representation.

Naming the Punjab Chief Minister, besides Home Secretary S. K. Sinha and Media Adviser B. I. S. Chahal, Mr Pirzada alleged that he apprehended threat to his life and other members of the family from all three of them because they suspected him to be behind making public “hawala transactions in the Punjab Intranet case”.

Sources close to the family of Mr Pirzada revealed that a few days ago, he received two telephone calls after which he reportedly informed Mr Rajesh Kumar, Inspector-General of Police, Chandigarh, that he and his wife had been receiving similar calls ever since his release from Patiala jail on bail.

Similar threats were also held out to him while he was in Patiala jail, suggesting him not to open his mouth any further in the Punjab Intranet case.

Mr Pirzada also held that he had no faith in the Punjab police and as such wanted security cover for himself and other members of his family from the Chandigarh police.