PM Modi's security lapse: Supreme Court directs Registrar General of Punjab, Haryana HC to secure, preserve travel records

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday (January 7, 2022) took up the petition on a court-monitored probe into the breach of Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s security during his Punjab visit on Wednesday.

A Bench of Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, Justices Surya Kant, and Hima Kohli directed the Registrar General of Punjab and Haryana High Court to secure and preserve the travel records of the Prime Minister during his visit to Punjab forthwith.

The Supreme court has also directed the Punjab and police authorities, SPG, and other Central and State agencies to cooperate and provide necessary assistance to seal the entire record.

Supreme Court directs Punjab and police authorities, SPG, and other Central and State agencies to cooperate and provide necessary assistance to seal the entire record. — ANI (@ANI) January 7, 2022

The SC Bench appointed the Director-General of Police, Chandigarh and an officer from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) as nodal officers to coordinate with the Registrar General. This development is significant as these officers are not associated with the Punjab Government or the Punjab cadre.

Notably, the involvement of the National Investigation Agency is significant as it indicates that the Apex Court of India paid due care and attention to the scheme of the Special Protection Group Act, 1988 which highlights that the State Government under Section 14 of the said act is obligated to aid the SPG for the security of the Prime Minister of India. 

The PIL (Public Interest Litigation) was filed by senior advocate Maninder Singh on Thursday while terming it a serious lapse and sought a probe.

The apex court bench on Thursday asked Singh, who was appearing for an organization, Lawyer`s Voice, which has filed the plea, to serve a copy of the petition to the Punjab government and posted it for hearing today.

As the top court began hearing of the plea, senior advocate Maninder Singh told the court that the issue of PM protection is a national security issue and comes under parliamentary purview, adding, "The incident needs to be professionally investigated."

"The state is not exclusively empowered to probe (the breach of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s security) and this is not a law and order issue," Maninder Singh is quoted as saying before the court by an ANI report.

"The chairman of the state-appointed Committee was a part of a huge service-related scam," Advocate Maninder Singh submitted before the top court.

Meanwhile, a central team probing the security breach during PM Modi's visit to Ferozepur reached the Punjab town on Friday while the state government submitted a report to the Centre saying an FIR has been filed in the matter and a two-member panel set up.

The Centre's three-member committee will seek details about the sequence of events that unfolded during Modi's January 5 visit.

The team first went to the Pyarayana flyover near Ferozepur and interacted with senior Punjab Police and civil administration officials.

The panel is led by Sudhir Kumar Saxena, Secretary (Security), Cabinet Secretariat, and comprises Balbir Singh, Joint Director of the Intelligence Bureau, and S Suresh, IG, Special Protection Group. The Centre has advised it to submit its report at the earliest.

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