Amritsar: Two customs officers have been transferred to the department's headquarters in Amritsar for "ill treating" former Prime Minister I K Gujral when he crossed from Pakistan through Wagah border on October 17.

The Customs Department today (Oct 20, 2004) said the Superintendent Santokh Singh and Inspector M S Sandhu were transferred in view of the of the protest filed by Gujral over the treatment meted out to him by the customs and immigration officials.

Meanwhile, Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Gurwarayam Singh, who was assigned protocol duty to receive Gujral, has submitted his report to the Deputy Commissioner who forwarded it to the Chief Secretary Jai Singh Gill.

Terming the transfer as "just an eyewash", Singh said that the customs officials were merely transferred from one section to another. "At least the errant officers should have been placed under suspension and later dismissed for misbehaving with the VVIP," he said.

The SDM, who was the eyewitness of the entire episode, has reported that it was "a big blunder" as the former Prime Minister was made to step down from his car and was asked to come before the customs window to sign and to fill up forms in the presence of customs and immigration officials.

The SDM said when Gujral crossed over to India from Pakistan on October 17 he was received by the Border Security Force (BSF) and given refreshments in the Conference Hall of BSF just few yards away from Joint Check Post (JCP) at Wagah.