PM security breach: CJI asks centre, state committees to not take action till Monday

Chief Justice of India NV Ramana has asked the centre and state committees to not take action till Monday on the issue of the alleged breach in the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's security which resulted in his motorcade getting stranded for 20 minutes on a flyover in Punjab’s Bathinda.

Supreme Court, in the meanwhile, had directed Punjab and Haryana High Court Registrar General to secure, preserve travel records.

A Bench of Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, Justices Surya Kant, and Hima Kohli asked Singh, who was appearing for an organisation, Lawyer’s Voice, which has filed the plea, to serve a copy of the petition to the Punjab government and posted it for hearing on Friday.

The CJI said, “This matter is the rarest of the rare. It has brought us international shame and has come up as a grave, grave danger to the safety and security of the Prime Minister."

The SC on Friday had agreed to hear a PIL seeking a fair probe into the incident to fix accountability of the Punjab government, top bureaucracy and police on the issue.

Senior advocate Maninder Singh, who sought an urgent hearing on the PIL, alleged that the lapse in PM's security was a deliberate act on the part of the Punjab government and police.

The PIL also sought a direction to the Bathinda district judge to immediately take possession of all official records — communications related details and arrangements for PM's travel by the designated route for SC— to be probed and identify those responsible for the lapses.

Senior advocate Singh sought a direction from the SC to the Bathinda district judge "to collect all official documents and materials from all possible sources pertaining to the movements and deployment of Punjab Police in connection with the visit at the earliest and produce the same before the Supreme Court" and alleged that Punjab police appeared to be in cahoots with the demonstrators to block the PM's route.

The PIL, filed on Thursday through advocate Sandep Singh, has also sought suspension of Punjab chief secretary Anirudh Tewari and DGP Siddharth Chattopadhyay pending a detailed high-level inquiry into the incident.

The petitioner said, "Considering the prevalent situation in Punjab, which has national security implications, the highest standard of security arrangements for the PM was imperative. As per protocol, the car for the state Chief Secretary and DGP or their nominees are supposed to join the PM's motorcade. However, as per the reports, neither chief secretary, DGP nor their representative had joined the PM's motorcade."

Around 30 kilometres from the National Martyrs Memorial in Hussainiwala, when the PM’s convoy reached a flyover, it was found that the road was blocked, resulting in the convoy being stuck there for 15-20 minutes, which was a major lapse in the security of the PM, it said.

(With inputs from agencies)