NEW DELHI: Security and intelligence experts have described as "serious" the lapse in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's security that led to his convoy getting stuck at a traffic point in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.

The breach was "unpardonable," they said, adding that it had exposed the chinks in the armour of the Prime Minister's security arrangements.

A former State police chief said the "Blue book" on the Prime Minister's security laid down detailed instructions on convoy formation, protection along the route, and even on the arrangements to be made for public rallies and functions.

Though it is the duty of the State police to ensure route protection and provide security at local venues, the Special Protection Group (SPG), responsible for proximate security to the Prime Minister, is consulted on the arrangements, a former top official said.

Normally, a Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) of the Special Branch is designated for such an assignment but the State police forces can make their own arrangements. All the State Governments are sensitised on the instructions of the "Blue book," and security requirements and threat perceptions to the Prime Minister from time to time.

A former SPG chief, who also headed the Intelligence Bureau, described the lapse as "incredible," saying it was beyond comprehension that a tourist taxi was hired and its driver was unfamiliar with the route.

The Prime Minister's convoy, provided by the State Government, has the PM's car and two escorts in the "security box." There is an advanced pilot as well as a warning pilot. The drivers are vetted, and only those with requisite experience and an excellent knowledge of local routes are chosen as they have to be ready for any last-minute changes, he said. The vehicles also keep in touch through wireless devices.

It was "very difficult" to explain why such a route deviation took place even after three rehearsals, he said.

Due to the high threat perception on account of the recent e-mail warning to the Prime Minister and the President, the State police and the SPG should have been "extra careful and vigilant," the former officials said.

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