In SC hearing on PM's security breach, SG Tushar Mehta's arguments detail serious concerns

In a breaking update on the Prime Minister's security breach matter that was heard in Supreme Court on Friday, Government Solicitor General Tushar Mehta mentioned the Khalistani terror video in his arguments. The Solicitor further argued that the matter is 'rarest of the rare issues which had a potential of causing international embarrassment'. It is important to note here that the Centre's representative also asserted, 'there is also a warning car ahead of PM's car so that in case there is a threat perception, the cavalcade can be stopped. Here, the local SP can be seen sipping tea with protesters and warning car was not informed' while pointing out at the evidence. 

PM security breach: Solicitor General Tushar Mehta puts forward the following arguments before the Supreme Court:

• This is a sui generis case which could have caused international embarrassment and pointed out that whenever the Prime Minister’s convoy travels by road, the SPG first consults the Director-General of the concerned State to know whether the route on which the Hon'ble prime Minister is to travel is clear from the safety point of view. In this case, the Prime Minister’s convoy started from Bhatinda by road only after assurance given by the Director General of Punjab Police that the route is clear.
• Ahead of Prime Minister’s convoy, a “warning vehicle” always travels which remains at a distance of 500 metres to 1km from the convoy. Any threat to the security of the Prime Minister en route is required to be reported by local police to the warning vehicle so that the warning vehicle can, in turn, inform through wireless message to the convoy to stop further movement of the Prime Minister. 

In the present case, though the local police were present at the site of the blockade on the flyover, they were seen having tea with those who gathered there, and did not intimate the warning vehicle about the blockade to immediately stop the movement of the Prime Minister’s convoy. The blockade came to be known only when the convoy reached on the flyover itself.

• SG Tushar Mehta also pointed out that visualising a situation in which one side of the flyover was blocked by a huge mob and if a similar mob would have gathered on the other side of the flyover with the protectee stuck on the flyover, this would have caused a serious mishap.

He also stated that even the Punjab Government has admitted security lapse on their part. The serious concern is whether this lapse is deliberate or due to inefficiency or due to external terrorist forces. He also pointed out that a person named Mr Pannu claiming to be the Chairman of the banned terrorist organisation called Sikhs for Justice [SFJ] based in US and UK, had already circulated a video much before the visit of the Prime Minister. He pointed out that there being a possibility of an international terrorist angle, the involvement of the National Investigating Agency [NIA] would be absolutely necessary. He, therefore, prayed that let all documents concerning the movement of the Hon'ble Prime Minister from Bhatinda onwards in the form of wireless messages, register entries etc. be collected by some neutral person who should be assisted by some qualified people of NIA.

• The Court, therefore, directed the Registrar General of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana to collect all these records with the assistance of DG [UT] Chandigarh along with a responsible representative of NIA.  
• So far as the Committee constituted by the State Government is concerned, the Advocate General for the State agreed that the State Committee will not proceed further. The Advocate General, Punjab however informed that the Central Government has also constituted a Committee which has sought the very same details from the State Police which are now required to be seized by the Registrar General of the High Court. He, therefore, requested that the Centre’s Committee also should not proceed further.
• The Court did not pass any order on this. However, since the Committee appointed by the Centre has sought the very same information from the State Police which is to be sized by the Registrar General, requested both the State Government and the Central Government not to proceed with the Committee. This is conveyed by the Court orally to both the Advocate General and the Solicitor General of India.

Image: PTI