PM Modi Security Breach: SC judge Indu Malhotra to head panel to probe lapse
Guwahati: The Supreme Court on Wednesday announced that retired Justice Indu Malhotra will lead the committee tasked with investigating the security breach that occurred during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Punjab on January 5. The group will also include the Director-General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Director-General of Punjab Security, and the Registrar General of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
After a lengthy hearing, a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and comprising Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli announced on Monday that the court will form a committee headed by a retired top court judge to investigate the PM’s security breach, and asked both the Centre and the Punjab government not to proceed with their respective investigations.
In a comprehensive decision issued today, the Supreme Court announced that a four-member committee, led by retired Justice Indu Malhotra, will investigate the causes of PM Modi’s security breach and those involved. The group will also provide recommendations for future ways to prevent VVIP security breaches.
The top court ordered the Registrar General of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to promptly hand over all seized papers relating to the Punjab government’s security measures for the PM’s January 5 visit to the panel head. According to the bench, the panel was anticipated to file its report soon, which also included justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli.
The Punjab government, represented by Advocate General D.S. Patwalia, protested about show-cause orders to its Chief Secretary and DGP at Monday’s session. He urged the Supreme Court to appoint an independent commission to investigate the situation.
The show-cause notifications issued by the Central government were defended by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who represented the Centre.
On the other hand, the Supreme Court expressed its disapproval with the Centre’s position, querying what good it would do to ask the court to look into the matter if the Centre decided to proceed on its own.
Senior counsel Maninder Singh, who is representing the Delhi-based petitioner Lawyer’s Voice, stressed the significance of providing safety to the country’s Prime Minister, citing a prior Supreme Court judgement on the SPG Act.
It may be mentioned that on January 5, the prime minister’s convoy was stranded on a flyover in Ferozepur due to a protester roadblock, and he returned from Punjab without attending any events, including a rally.