VVIP Arjun to take off with gunman in tow

New Delhi: Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh has got himself a rare privilege: he is now eligible for protection by a gun-wielding personal security officer (PSO) even inside planes. Such protection during air travel is granted to only VVIPs, who get the special security cover set out in the Special Protection Group Act.
The list includes the prime minister, former prime ministers, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and her children. Singh's gun-handling PSO is permitted to guard him in all commercial flights including those of Air India and Indian airlines within and outside the country.
A senior Civil Aviation Ministry official said domestic flights could permit weapons for PSOs if the Home Ministry sanctions them for a VIP. But prior permission from the airlines is needed for international flights.
07/09/06 Jay Raina/Hindustan Times

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