Was PM's security taken lightly?

Mumbai: Air India in an embarrassing goof-up, sent a ‘tainted’ officer on the pre-tour to Manila, where the prime minister was to land on the morning of December 11 as part of his two-nation tour to Philippines. The tour was subsequently cancelled.
The officer in question was S G Shenoy, Deputy General Manager (Properties and Facilities), who, according to Air India sources, has been found guilty of corruption by the vigilance department of the airline.
Security experts say the risk of a tainted officer being bribed by anti-India forces or militant groups is more, but Air India maintains that there has been no breach on their part.
But experts say the airline had breached security protocol and procedures by selecting a ‘tainted’ officer. The security protocol clearly mentions that officials accompanying the PM should have a clean record and must not be involved in corruption cases.
“The onus is on the airline to decide the security issue of whether they should allow a man, whose integrity and professionalism has been compromised, to be sent on such a sensitive tour”, said a former additional secretary in Cabinet Secretariat.
The PMO too said that Air India should have shown ‘more caution’ before sending such an officer.
16/12/06 Neeta Kolhatkar/Daily News & Analysis

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