NEW DELHI: The Delhi Excessive Court docket on Monday listed for April 30 a public curiosity litigation (PIL) in regards to the security and safety of the Prime Minister, contemplating the pendency of overlapping points earlier than the Supreme Court docket.
A bench headed by Chief Justice DN Patel initially mentioned that it will ask the Centre to contemplate as illustration the PIL which seeks a declaration that every one authorities, civil or army, shall act beneath the supervision of the Particular Safety Group (SPG) in issues of safety of the Prime Minister and his speedy members of the family.
Lawyer V Govinda Ramanan, representing the petitioner Ashish Kumar, mentioned that the plea was on a “restricted level of legislation” that the SPG ought to have the ability of superintendence in respect of the PM’s security and that he has already made a illustration to the Ministry of Dwelling Affairs.
The petitioner has claimed that he filed the PIL in view of media stories on a safety breach throughout Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s latest go to to Punjab. Central authorities counsel Amit Mahajan knowledgeable the court docket that the Supreme Court docket is already seized of overlapping points.
The bench, additionally comprising Justice Jyoti Singh, adjourned the listening to on the PIL and famous that the apex court docket has handed instructions and is awaiting the report of the committee already appointed by it.
On January 5, the prime minister’s convoy was stranded on a flyover resulting from a blockade by protesters in Ferozepur after which he returned from poll-bound Punjab with out attending any occasion, together with a rally.
On January 12, the Supreme Court docket had, on a petition searching for an intensive investigation into the matter, appointed a five-member committee headed by former apex court docket decide Justice Indu Malhotra to probe the safety breach.
Within the PIL earlier than the excessive court docket, the petitioner has argued that the safety of the Prime Minister “can’t be left to the discretion” of the states and absolutely the superintendence in issues of his security needs to be exercised by the SPG.
He has submitted that the SPG was created with the only goal of guaranteeing the security and safety of the prime minister and all authorities are due to this fact duty-bound to assist their capabilities.
The petitioner has alleged that just lately, “The Govt. of Punjab, together with the Police officers of the state as a substitute of coming to the help of” SPG by way of Part 14 of the SPG Act, 1988 was ‘creating obstacles to the proximate safety of the Hon’ble Prime Minister’.”
“It got here to the information of the petitioner by way of media stories that there was a breach within the safety of the Hon’ble Prime Minister throughout his latest go to to the border state of Punjab on 05.01.2022, which, inter-alia, is additional proof from the truth that his convoy was caught and was made to attend on a flyover for greater than 20 minutes, thereby, exposing and placing his life in danger to a terrorist assault,” the petition mentioned.
In a rustic that has witnessed the assassination of two PMs, such safety lapses pose a terrific menace to nationwide safety and in addition put the lifetime of the frequent residents in danger, the petitioner has argued.
