Supreme Court to form panel to probe PM Modi's security breach

The bench asked both the Centre and the Punjab government not to move ahead with their respective inquires into the matter

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to set up a panel, headed by a former apex court judge, to probe the Prime Minister Narendra Modi security breach in Punjab last week.

A bench presided over by Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli asked both the Centre and the Punjab government not to move ahead with their respective inquires into the matter.

Following a detailed hearing, the bench said it will pass an order in the matter. “We are taking the PM's security breach very seriously,” the bench said.

During the hearing, the bench indicated other members of the committee would be DGP Chandigarh, IG National Investigating Agency, registrar general (Punjab and Haryana High Court), and ADGP (security) Punjab. The bench added that it will ask the committee to submit its report to it within a shortest possible span of time.

Advocate General of Punjab D S Patwalia raised issue of show-cause notices to its Chief Secretary and DGP. He asked the court to form an independent committee to probe the matter.

"Hang me if I am guilty..... but don't condemn me unheard," Patwalia said.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, defended the show-cause notices issued by the central government, citing the statute and Blue Book. The bench, however, asked what was the point of asking the court to examine the matter if the Centre wanted to go ahead on its own.

"If you want to take disciplinary action against the state officers then what remains for this court to do," the bench asked Mehta, who maintained the top officers are responsible for the PM's security under the rules.

Senior advocate Maninder Singh, representing the Delhi-based petitioner NGO 'Lawyer's Voice', emphasised on the importance of protection to the PM of the country.

On Wednesday, Modi's convoy remained stranded on a flyover due to a blockade by protesters in Ferozepur. The incident forced the PM to cancel his rally and other events planned in poll-bound Punjab.

The plea alleged lapse in the security of the Prime Minister was occasioned clearly in connivance with the Punjab Police.

"It was only the Punjab government that knew the precise route of the Prime Minister which is never shared due to high security reasons. It has been reported that this may have been the single biggest lapse in security of any Indian Prime Minister in recent years," the plea claimed.

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