In what is being called a major security lapse at an event attended by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath in Basti district, a man with a licensed revolver entered the auditorium minutes ahead of the former’s arrival on Tuesday.

While the man was taken out of the auditorium soon after, at least four police personnel were suspended on Thursday due to laxity.

Adityanath was attending a programme at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Auditorium in Basti district earlier this week. Personnel from local police stations, as well as those from other districts, were deployed on security duty.

About 45 minutes before the chief minister’s arrival, one Jatshankar Shukla, a representative of the Gaur block, reached the spot. According to a report by HT’s sister publication Live Hindustan, Jitendra Pandey, the brother-in-law of Shukla’s younger brother Amardeep, also entered the auditorium with his licensed revolver, but was later pulled out by the police personnel present there.

Basti SP Ashish Srivastava told news agency ANI, “There was a VIP event of the chief minister in Basti district. Forty-five minutes before his arrival, a man arrived at the auditorium with his licensed revolver; the circle officer present there on duty saw him.”

He said the man was later taken out of the auditorium and had his identity ascertained. Given that the gunman managed to enter the auditorium where a high-profile event was being held, the role of a number of policemen soon came under the lens.

“In the initial probe, seven police personnel, including four posted in Basti district, were found to be negligent,” the Basti SP said. “Two of them were posted in Siddharthnagar and another in Sant Kabir Nagar.”

“The four policemen posted in Basti district have been suspended, and reports have been sent to the SPs concerned regarding the remaining three policemen. Departmental action will be taken,” he added.