Modi 'security lapse' Supreme Court probe, committee's name likely to be decided today
New Delhi . The Supreme Court is likely to name a high-level inquiry committee headed by a former judge on Wednesday to probe the alleged security lapse during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Punjab. Chief Justice NV. Ramana and a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli, on Monday, while hearing a plea by NGO ‘Lawyers Voice’, decided to constitute a high-level inquiry committee headed by a former judge of the apex court. The bench took this decision after hearing the arguments of the petitioner, the central government and the Punjab government. The court may decide the names of the committee members during today’s hearing.
The plea has sought an “efficient and professional” probe into the entire episode to avoid recurrence of the prime minister’s “security lapse” in future. The petition had urged the apex court to direct the Bathinda district judge to take possession of the entire record related to the security breach. On the day of the Prime Minister’s January 5 program, his convoy was stuck on a flyover in Punjab after protesters staged a sit-in and blockade. The incident had forced Modi to cancel his rally and his pre-scheduled events in the state.
Chief Justice Ramana had said during the last hearing (January 10) that to investigate the whole matter, I order a committee to be constituted under the chairmanship of a former judge of the apex court. He had indicated to appoint Chandigarh DGP, National Investigation Agency IG, Punjab and Haryana High Court Registrar General and Punjab ADGP (Security) as members of the inquiry committee. Justice Ramana had also said that he would ask the committee to submit its report to it in the shortest possible time. A three-member bench of the apex court had directed the central and state governments not to conduct their own investigations.
The state government had made a request before the bench to set up an ‘independent inquiry’ in this matter. During the hearing, the bench had expressed displeasure over the “show cause” notices issued by the central government to several top state officials in connection with alleged security lapses during Modi’s visit to Punjab. Expressing displeasure over the notice being sent, Chief Justice Ramana told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Central Government, during the hearing, that if you want to take disciplinary action against the officials of the state. So what is left for this court to do?”
A three-member bench headed by the Chief Justice, during the hearing on January 07, had directed the central and state governments not to conduct any inquiry on their part till the next hearing on January 10. Despite this, ‘show cause’ notices were issued by the central government to several concerned top officials of the state on the alleged security lapse.
The top court had on January 7 directed the Registrar General of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to preserve all the details related to the Prime Minister’s one-day visit to Bathinda. Along with this, the concerned security agencies of the state and central government were asked to help the Registrar General in collecting evidence. During the last hearing before the top court, the state’s Advocate General D.S. Patwalia had lodged a strong objection to the notice of the Central Government. Solicitor General Mehta, appearing for the central government, had told the bench that the security lapse of the prime minister was a result of the failure of the ‘intelligence machinery’ of the Punjab government. This matter should be taken seriously.
Senior advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for the petitioner Delhi-based NGO, had sought speedy hearing under special mention before the court on January 06 in the context of the Bathinda incident. Describing the matter related to the security lapse of Prime Minister Modi as ‘urgent’, he had appealed for an early hearing. After this, a bench headed by the Chief Justice had agreed to hear the matter on January 07.(UNI)
