A petition on breach of PM security was filed seeking preservation of evidence on security lapses and action against erring officials. The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the ongoing inquiries by two separate panels of the Centre and the Punjab government into the security breach during Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Punjab, and said that it will set up a committee headed by a former apex court judge to probe it.
Committee: A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana said that a formal order to this effect will be passed shortly on setting up of the panel to which the DGP Chandigarh, IG of NIA and the Registrar General of Punjab and Haryana High Court may be part. There would be another member in the committee. Punjab has suggested its Additional DGP (Security) as an alternative.
The Court did not name the retired judge in the open court, and the order mentioning his name is yet to be uploaded.
The court said its committee would submit a report within a specified time after examining the records of the security arrangements, which have already been seized by the Registrar General of the Punjab and Haryana High Court as per its orders on January 7.
Petition filed: The top court was hearing the plea of an organisation, Lawyers Voice, Bijan Kumar Singh seeking a thorough investigation into the breach in Prime Minister Modi’s security in Punjab to ensure there is no such event in the future.
Beginning of the Issue: On January 5, the prime minister’s convoy was stranded on a flyover due to a blockade by protesters in Ferozepur after which he returned from poll-bound Punjab without attending any event, including a rally.
New Development: Soon after the hearing was concluded by the court, reports emerged that many Advocates-on-Record (AoRs) practicing before the Supreme Court had received an automated call at around 10.40 am today from an anonymous number from the United Kingdom taking responsibility for the alleged security breach of the PM’s convoy and also warning the judges of the top court to refrain from hearing the plea seeking probe into the security breach.
In the latest development, the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record (SCAORA) Association has written to the Secretary-General of the Supreme Court and the Delhi Police Commissioner to initiate against anonymous callers.
