The West Bengal government today announced compensation for five policemen who were injured when an escort car in President Pranab Mukherjee's motorcade skidded off a hilly road and tumbled down a 100-foot gorge in Darjeeling.
According to an order issued by the state government, A P Singh, chief security liaison officer to the President, will get an ex-gratia compensation of Rs one lakh while four others will get Rs 50,000 each as a special case.
The incident took place on July 15 when the President was on his way to Bagdogra to catch a flight to Delhi after a four-day visit to the Darjeeling Hills.
Because of low visibility due to rains and fog, the vehicle, which was third car in the convoy carrying security liaison officer of Intelligence Bureau and local police officials, skidded off the road and rolled down the deep gorge before getting stuck in trees near Sonada, 30 km from Darjeeling.
They were later helped out.
