Delhi police have sought fresh direction from the home minister to handle situation

NEW DELHI: Caught in a catch-22 situation, Delhi Police has sought fresh directions from the Union home ministry to handle the situation arising out of Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress President Sonia Gandhi and a โ€œZโ€ category protectee, refusing police escort.

The Delhi Police has shot off a letter after the VIP recently refused, again, to take the ITBP escort with him despite the โ€œZโ€ category security sanctioned by Union home ministry, official sources said.

Vadra, husband of Priyanka Gandhi, was provided โ€œZโ€ category security last year after a meeting chaired by Union home minister Shivraj Patil decided to provide protection to the kith and kin of all VIPs.

Vadra, according to the letter, does not want cops to accompany him and repeated requests by police officials to have an escort was not heeded to, the sources said, adding that the Delhi Police has sought fresh directions from the Union Home Ministry in case a similar situation arose again.

An elite Special Protection Group (SPG) cover was provided to Priyanka because of high threat perception from LTTE, an outfit allegedly behind the assassination of her father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Vadra was also provided with an elite SPG cover, but only if he was accompanying his wife.

A similar complaint was pending against General Secretary of VHP Praveen Togadia, who had managed to dodge his escort team on several occasions, choosing instead to go without a security cover in a separate car.