Supreme Court orders securing of all records related to PM security breach

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The Supreme Court today directed the registrar general of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to secure all records and relevant documents concerning the incident of the prime minister’s security breach that took place in Punjab’s Ferozepur region.

The government of Punjab, including its police, Special Protection Group as well as all the concerned state and central agencies have been directed by the court to co-operate in the process of gathering the records.

The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana and comprising Surya Kant and Hima Kohli has also asked the two committees formed by central and Punjab governments to halt their proceedings for the time being.

The direction for the two probe panels not to proceed with the action till the next date of hearing was made orally by the court. The matter will be heard next by the court on January 10.

The petitioning organisation argued before the court that an incident of security breach of the nation’s prime minister is not a mere law and order issued but a question of national security. Senior Counsel Maninder Singh arguing for the public interest suit petitioner said that a security breach of the highest level had taken place in a poll-bound state.

On the question of the Punjab government setting up a panel to look into the incident, Singh objected by saying that the state government cannot appoint a panel to probe an incident that took place under its watch.

Backing the organisation’s call for injuncting the Punjab government-appointed panel from conducting the probe, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, arguing for the Union government, said that not only was the incident a question concerning national security but also the rarest of the rare kind of incidents that has caused “huge international embarrassment” for the country.

Flagging the possibility of an international group’s involvement in the incident, Mehta said that the National Investigating Agency ought to be roped in even for the process of collection of relevant records.

The state of Punjab agreed about the gravity of the issue and told the court that a First Information Report in the case has already been filed. Advocate General for the state, DS Patwalia, informed the court that the probe panel was set up soon after the incident occurred while also submitting that the state is willing to hand over the records in the safe custody of any authority directed by the Supreme Court.

The Punjab government’s counsel also averred that a committee of a retired judge or any other person can be set up by the apex court to investigate the matter fairly if the Punjab government’s panel is barred from probing the issue.

Noting the seriousness of the issue involved, the court has directed for the safe securing of all the records and documents for the time being following which the court will proceed to hear the matter on issues of probe and committees on Monday. Until then, all panels looking into the incident are required to stop their actions.