In a second security scare within a month, a cow strayed towards Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's car moments after he alighted from it, causing anxious moments to his security detail.
The incident occurred on Friday evening when Adityanath arrived to inaugurate the Gorakhnath overbridge. After a video of it surfaced on Sunday, authorities ordered a probe and a municipal corporation supervisor was suspended.
The video showed MP Ravi Kishan stepping out of the vehicle first. When the chief minister followed, a cow was seen approaching and came close to the car, prompting the alert security personnel to form a cordon.
The personnel scurried to block the bovine and drive it away, preventing any harm.
Later, Municipal Commissioner Gaurav Singh Sograwal ordered an internal probe into how the animal breached the security perimeter despite standard checks.
A preliminary inquiry found negligence on part of a municipal corporation supervisor, Arvind Kumar, who has now been suspended. Kumar was responsible for monitoring civic arrangements in the area.
Sograwal said any lapse in VVIP security will not be tolerated and arrangements will be reviewed and tightened to prevent recurrence.
The issue of stray cattle in Uttar Pradesh has often been raised by opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav.
On December 2, a visibly drunk man had broken through Adityanath's security cordon and advanced towards the stage during the Kashi Tamil Sangam 4.0 event at Namo Ghat in Varanasi.
The man, who was mentally ill, was caught by commandos from the chief minister's security detail.
"The young man has been identified as Joginder Gupta, who sells water at the city station. He is a heavy drinker and reached the venue inebriated.
Joginder is also suffering from mental stress and is undergoing treatment," Additional Commissioner of Police Vidush Saxena had said following the incident. -- PTI