The Supreme Court has appointed a committee that will probe into the matter of the Prime Minister’s security breach in Punjab that took place on January 5. Former Supreme Court judge Indu Malhotra will chair the committee that will inquire into the matter.
A bench led by the Chief Justice of India, N.V. Ramana has asked the committee to submit the report of its findings confidentially at the earliest. Other members of the committee include the Director-General of the National Investigation Agency or his nominee who will not be below the rank of Inspector General, Director General of Chandigarh, Director-General of Police of the union territory of Chandigarh, Punjab’s Additional Director-General of Police (Security), and Punjab and Haryana High Court’s Registrar General.
The separate panels which were earlier formed by Punjab and the Central government to investigate the matter have been effectively arrested by this committee. The highest court of India also got the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s registrar general to take away the security records that were connected with the security breach incident of the Prime Minister. Both the governments at the center and state levels had put the blame on each other previously. Election polls are due to happen in the state of Punjab this year. Punjab government had accused the Union government and also tried to pile the blame on the security lapse on it. The central government had summoned officials from Punjab for an explanation.
Chief Justice while reading out the order had stated that the inquiry could not take place if it happens one-sidedly. A judicially trained and someone with an independent-minded individual that will be assisted by the officers who were connected to the case and the security conditions along with the Registrar-General of the High court will be the most suitable to look into the highly questionable issue and the confidential report from them will be submitted as soon as possible.
The committee is expected to find out about the causes of the security breach, all the people who are responsible for it, and to what extent are they accountable. It will also provide remedial measures for the improvement of the security of the Prime Ministers and other highly influential ministers of the country.
This is not an ordinary case. If it was a complete breach, there would be no question of the hearing. The officers responsible would have been given notice. But since it is a very case, the committee has been appointed and the Supreme Court has ordered to not delay the process further.
