Lt Gen (retired) BS Hooda (File photo)
NEW DELHI: Former commander of the Indian Army’s Northern Command, Lt Gen (retired) BS Hooda, on Wednesday alleged that his car was hit by two Punjab Police vehicles escorting a “VIP” in what he called a “deliberate” act. He urged Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann and DGP Gaurav Yadav to take action against those responsible. “At 4 pm, while driving with my wife on the Zirakpur flyover, two Punjab Police jeeps escorting a VIP towards Ambala came up behind us with sirens blaring. I slowed down to let the first vehicle pass. The VIP car may have taken three extra seconds to cross because of heavy traffic,” Hooda wrote on X.“Angered, the rear escort jeep, while overtaking from the left, deliberately swerved right, hit the front of my car, and sped away,” he added. The retired officer said the impact damaged his car and that the police drivers showed “no concern” for his or his wife’s safety amid the busy traffic. “The arrogance and impunity of someone who is supposed to be a guardian of law soils the uniform and reputation of the organisation,” Hooda remarked.Responding on X, the Punjab Police DGP’s office regretted the “distress and concern caused.” It added that such behaviour, if proven, would be “completely unacceptable and contrary to the values of professionalism and public service that Punjab Police stands for.” “I have personally discussed the matter with Special DGP Traffic AS Rai, and directions have been issued to identify the vehicles and personnel involved. Please be assured that the matter is being taken seriously and appropriate action will be initiated,” the DGP stated. Hooda later noted that his car did not have a dashcam, adding that “my word, if honourable, would have to do.” A decorated officer, Lt Gen (retired) Hooda was commissioned into the Indian Army in December 1976 and retired in November 2016, two months after overseeing the surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following the Uri terror attacks.
